What is Trauma?

Our brains store our memories in various ways.

You can recall

An experience becomes traumatic when we are overwhelmed emotionally and physiologically, and we feel helpless in affecting the outcome of the situation. Our fight, flight, or freeze responses get stuck in our bodily memory of the event. The more overwhelmed, helpless, and isolated we feel, the more likely we are to get traumatized.

Potential causes of trauma and PTSD include single events such as motor vehicle or bike accidents, natural disasters, rape, an unexpected death, and the experiences of first responders, combat soldiers, and veterans.

Complex trauma (C-PTSD) can develop when one is dominated and coercively controlled by a powerful "other" over a duration of months to years. Hostages, prisoners of war, religious cult survivors, sex trafficking survivors and childhood and domestic abuse survivors are examples of people who can develop C-PTSD.

Developmental Trauma Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that comes from unresolved traumatic events. Symptoms include (but are not limited to): (1)

• Flashbacks and/or recurrent traumatic nightmares.
• A reactive nervous system, which includes sleep troubles, exaggerated startle responses, hyper-vigilance, and concentration problems.
• Avoiding trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and reminders such as, people, places, conversations, activities, objects, or situations.
• Inability to remember fundamental parts of the traumatic event
• Blaming yourself or others in a persistent and distorted way regarding the traumatic event or its consequences
• Feeling alienated, detached, or estranged from others

Dr. Judith Herman (2) of Harvard University was the first to propose the diagnosis of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) ,which is not yet in the latest edition of the DSM. However, the need for such a diagnosis is clear.

She argues that historically, the propensity to blame the victim has led clinicians and researchers to make sense of the perpetrator's crimes by studying the characteristics of the victim. Yet research attempts with prisoners of war and domestic violence victims has showed that psychologically healthy men and women can be coerced and exploited.   

Our minds and bodies are made to naturally cope with various stressful experiences. But sometimes, the imprints of trauma cause our nervous systems to behave as if the past danger is in the present, and our brain and body chemistries undergo subsequent changes. Our fight or flight responses continue working when they should be resting. Our freeze response turns on when we are triggered, making us less capable of defending ourselves when needed. Our nervous systems overproduce stress hormones - cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. All of these changes are adaptive when they last a short time. They become maladaptive when they continue to overwork, creating a whole host of issues in our bodies, such as arterial and heart problems, gut issues, and a compromised immune system. Our experiences of trauma, depending on the type of trauma, can also impact us emotionally, relationally, mentally, and behaviorally. (see below).

Because trauma lodges itself into the physiological, sensory, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive systems of a person, somatic therapy reworks trauma on these levels. A re-living or re-telling of your story of trauma is not required. You will instead be gently guided out of your "stuck" fight, flight, or freeze responses, so that you can experience rest and peace emotionally and physiologically. You will increase your connection with, and awareness of, your physiological state. You will slowly grow your capacity to tolerate distressing sensations and emotions, and build your resilience to stress.

While trauma has a way of disconnecting us from ourselves and other people, somatic therapy works to help you reconnect to your basic survival instincts, as well as to all aspects of your lived experience. After your mind and body are given the chance to heal from the memories of trauma, you will feel more like yourself, and be able to engage more fully in your life and relationships.

Take your first steps to healing from trauma/PTSD. Call or text me today at 312-313-3236. Or email me at eunia [at] chicagolandcounseling.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

(1) American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.