Self Soothing: Releasing Trauma

During the early hours of Monday, October 9th 2017, I was awakened by an event that would change my life. The fire that started in Napa County and was aided by blustering winds climbed over hills and valleys to Santa Rosa, the community I have called home for over 30 years. I experienced firsthand the fear, anxiety, and devastation of the fires that have changed the landscape of our community forever. Even with the fires extinguished, I continue to witness the loss so many have endured throughout this nightmare. In light of these circumstances, I thought a brief explanation of how trauma manifests in the body may be helpful, along with an exercise that can support you through this traumatic experiencing.

Trauma can be explained as an overwhelm of circumstances, a splintering of cohesion that triggers a primitive part of our brain. There is a type of alarm that goes off when we feel a certain helplessness in light of negative circumstances. These situations catalyze the fight, flight, or freeze response in the amygdala. Our nervous system is wired to notice the alarm and react. There is nothing wrong with this response, our system is reacting exactly as it should when faced with terrifying conditions

.In the attached video, leading trauma therapist, Dr. Peter A. Levine, uses the prop of a slinky to demonstrate how trauma energy is experienced in the body and can stay stuck in the body. He shows how in daily experiences the slinky or nervous system expands and contracts easily and fluidly. Next, he illustrates what happens to our nervous system when we are exposed to the flood of traumatic energy during a stressful event. Dr. Levine is the founder of somatic experiencing which is a way to release trauma stuck in the body through exercises focused on breathe and body awareness.

One of the exercises Dr. Levine recommends to help release the pent up energy in the nervous system is a type of self-hugging. This exercise is a form of self-containment that creates a physical sense of safety. I like the idea of this exercise because it is not dependent on anyone but yourself and it feels good to give yourself this physical form of self-love.

I’ve attached an image of Dr. Levine demonstrating the holding exercise. The instructions are to place your right hand under your left arm, in your arm pit essentially. This positions your right arm across your chest and against your heart. Then place your left arm on your right shoulder. You should look like you are giving yourself a hug. Now breathe into this posture and feel your nervous system relax. Allow a sense of calmness to come over you and settle into our body.

Unreleased or stuck physical trauma can result in many symptoms from brain fog to irritability, mood swings, depression and isolation to name a few. If you are aware that you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of stuck traumatic energy, perhaps start with this exercise, but also consider professional help. For those of you in the Sonoma County area, affected by the fires, the local chapter of Marriage and Family therapists has a list of counselors offering 3-5 sessions for free.

Please check it out at http://www.recamft.org.