Our bodies are constantly revealing the effects of all the influences they are subjected to. It reveals the choices we are making with the food we digest and the impact of environmental stressors. One of the most harmful stimuli that can continue to have major mind and body effects is trauma. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 61% of men and 51% of women report at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes. For perspective, these are some of the other most-common mental health disorders, courtesy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
- Depression: 7.2% of American adults report having had a major depressive episode.
- Anxiety Disorders: 19.1% of Americans say that they’ve suffered from anxiety at some point in their lives.
Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk is a psychiatrist and leading specialist in trauma recovery. He has spent three decades working with survivors and is the author of the book The Body Keeps the Score. In his book, he describes how ideally our stress hormone system should provide a lightning-fast response to threat, but then quickly return us to equilibrium. People suffering from post-traumatic stress experience the stress hormone system’s lack of recovery in this balancing act. Fight/flight/freeze signals continue after the danger is over and do not return to normal. Instead, the continued secretion of stress hormones is expressed as agitation and panic and, in the long term, wreaks havoc with their health. Rather than seeking help in recovery, many people describe feeling a vague sense of emptiness and boredom when they are not angry, under duress, or involved in some dangerous activities. They often find themselves addicted to the pain, which reinforces the traumatic responses emotionally and physically. Researchers have found that endorphins- the morphine-like chemicals that the brain secretes in response to stress- play a role in the paradoxical addictions that can form.
Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: the unresolved past is alive in the form of gnawing internal discomfort. Their bodies are constantly being bombarded by visceral warning signs, and in an attempt to control these processes, they often become experts at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is happening inside them. They learn to hide from themselves. People who cannot comfortably notice what is going on inside become vulnerable to respond to any sensory shift either by shutting down or by going into a panic- they develop a fear of fear itself. Even when people choose to suppress the emotional pain that they carry inside, the body will demand attention through physical issues.
Knowing what we feel is the first step to knowing why we feel that way. If we are aware of the constant changes in our inner and outer environment, we can take action to manage them in healthy ways. This is one reason why mindfulness practice is an important piece of recovery from trauma.
Steps in Pursuit
- Take time this week to practice at different points during your day, to stop and recognize what you are feeling at the moment. Recognize where in your body you might be feeling that emotion.
- Begin to recognize emotional patterns. Do you find yourself more agitated at certain times of the day? Are you finding yourself anxious in certain environments more than others?
- Allow yourself to be honest with your emotions and practice some kind affirmations. An example might be: “It is safe for me to acknowledge the discomfort I feel around large crowds of people.”
Supporting others recovering from traumatic stress is something that we all can pursue in building a healthy community. Join me and several others on September 21, at the Natural Wellness Summit and gain helpful resources that you can share with family and friends.
Continue the Pursuit,
Denise
