How to Release Trauma Trapped in Your Body
Because trauma is any unprocessed thought or emotion that gets stuck in your nervous system.
And whether it’s a big, extremely stressful event or a small one, trauma lodges itself in your body.
- Begin by Butterfly Hugging and Tapping– hug yourself and then alternately tap on your arms, from side to side, 25 times. Then take a deep breath. Repeat this until your stress level begins to drop noticeably.
- Next, Send Roots into the Ground. Notice your feet or, if you’re seated, your back, buttocks, and back of your legs in the chair. Now notice your feet or lower body being firmly connected to the floor, then to the ground, like roots going deep into the earth. Take a deep breath. Then gaze about the room and notice objects or textures about the room, remaining connected to your “roots.”
- Finally, Notice Breathing: Put one hand on your chest and one hand your belly. Now just be with your breath, not trying to change it, but just noticing the rhythm of it. Then make a heart shape with your fingertips and bring awareness to your beating heart. (via LifeCareWellness)
What is Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response that is caused by experiencing one single incident or a series of distressing or traumatic emotional or psychological events, or both.
Just because a person experiences a distressing event does not mean they will experience trauma.
It is how that trauma affects us individually.
When a person experiences a distressing event or series of events, such as abuse, a bad accident, rape or other sexual violence, combat, or a natural disaster, they may have an emotional response called trauma.
Immediate reactions after a traumatic event include shock and denial, while more long-term reactions may include mood, relationship challenges, flashbacks, and physical symptoms.
These responses may be concerning to the person experiencing them and those around them, but they are normal responses to traumatic events.
Anytime you’re stressed your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) gets activated.
The SNS increases your heart rate and blood pressure, makes you sweat, shuttles blood out of your organs and into your muscles, and shuts down your executive functions so the volume can be turned up on the part of your brain that’s responsible for survival.
All of this happens so you can either fight whatever’s threatening you or run away from it.
Getting yourself in a quiet room/setting can help decrease heart rate and help relax your nervous system.
Try turning on relaxing meditation music or close your eyes and just BREATHE.
While the trauma itself was unavoidable and the responses are normal, they can still be problematic and dangerous.
Professional support from a mental health professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist can help with coping and recovery.
Some less-obvious examples of “small t” traumatic events that can still have a huge impact on your wellbeing include:
- Being yelled at
- Being bullied
- Moving
- Divorce
- Loss
- Sibling rivalry
- Peer pressure
- Schooling that is incompatible with your personal learning style
- Religious incompatibility
- Physical injury & accidents
- Having emotions invalidated
- Racial discrimination & microaggressions
- Financial instability
- Over-exposure to unrealistic beauty standards
- Unprocessed trauma in care-givers
- Any transition phase, even wanted ones like graduations, getting married, or having a baby (via LifeCareWellness)
I have had an abundance of trauma that has debilitated me throughout my younger years.
The emotions of the trauma have stacked one on top of another to finally reach its peak causing; depression, chronic pain, sadness and anger throughout my years.
If I could give one word of advice it would be time, it takes time to heal, lots of time.
Good news is therapy can help.
Working with a counselor specifically trained in trauma resolution can help you work towards unlocking past traumas and releasing them from your system in a safe space.
You will learn how to speak through the pain the trauma has caused and you will be able to release it when you are alone.
This post was written by Lauren K., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
Live in New York and want to learn more about working with us? Check us out here!
Check out more content like this here.
