Identifying
What is Trauma?
Any experience that overwhelms the normal coping mechanisms of the body (too invasive). It results from events experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and having lasting adverse effects on the persons functioning and physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual well being.
Results of prolonged/repeated stress
The system becomes overwhelmed due to a new biological baseline of adrenaline/opioids from constant exposure to external threats such as domestic violence, psychological abuse, physical abuse, war, etc.
- Body is prevented from following its natural rhythm of excitement/rest
- Adrenal glands become exhausted and go into forced state of recuperation
- Opioid system creates low grade depression, alters sense of time, place, and perception of feelings
- Everyday stressors produce exaggerated reactions
- Ruminating thoughts of past events
- Physical disease can manifest
Understanding
Types of Trauma
1. Vicarious Traumatization
Unconscious infection of the thinking process due to exposure to other peoples traumatic experiences (other people’s stories and traumas impacting you).
2. Compassion Fatigue
Intense experience in which emotions are suppressed or unacknowledged (not allowed to have emotions come through).
3. PTSD
Anxiety disorder following distressing events outside the range of normal human experience, stays with us and renders one unable to process it.
Signs you are experiencing trauma:
- Nightmares about the event
- Detachment & pulling away into yourself
- Lack of concentration
- Avoidance of situations that remind you of the event
The anatomy & biology of traumatic experiences manifests itself in the nervous system, and hence the direct correlation with breathwork as a tool to ease symptoms.
The illustration below depicts the range of resiliency the nervous system can tolerate. Our response in red can lead to being stuck in “on” or “off” mode as a coping mechanism when we can no longer respond in a healthy way to stressors.
