Podcast Summary
Trauma is a persistent physiological response, not just an event: Understanding trauma as a persistent physiological response can help individuals heal by addressing the body's response to past traumas
Trauma is not just an event in the past, but rather the physical and emotional responses that continue to manifest in the body long after the event has passed. Trauma is stored in the body as a learned pattern in the nervous system, leading to repeated reactions and behaviors. This disconnect between the past trauma and the present response can be particularly challenging when the trauma is old and not easily remembered. The body's response to the trauma can retraumatize individuals, making it understandable why many prefer to avoid confronting their past. By recognizing that trauma is not an event but a persistent physiological response, we can begin to understand the importance of addressing the body's response to heal fully.
Understanding and addressing trauma responses: Focusing on identifying triggers and learning new reactions can help prevent harmful coping mechanisms and promote healing from past traumas.
It's important to understand that healing from trauma doesn't require reliving it over and over again. Instead, focusing on identifying triggers and learning new reactions can lead to growth. Trauma can easily be triggered, and people may not fully understand why they react the way they do. Even in safe relationships, past traumas can surface, and the body may react instinctively before the mind has a chance to process. It's crucial to recognize these reactions and work on regulating the nervous system through practices like setting boundaries and visualization. By doing so, one can prevent harmful coping mechanisms like dissociation, binge eating, or self-punishing thought loops. Progress in healing is possible with dedication to understanding and addressing the root causes of trauma responses.
Trauma's long-term impact goes beyond the event: Trauma shapes our brains to cope with stress through harmful behaviors, but recognizing their protective nature can lead to healing and new skills for regulation and self-care
Trauma is not just an isolated event, but rather the long-term dysregulation and physical response that follows. Our brains have developed protective strategies, such as binge eating or substance use, to help us cope with the stress and fear that accompany traumatic experiences. These behaviors, while harmful in the long run, are initially designed to help us survive. Understanding this can help us approach our healing process with compassion and a focus on developing new skills for regulation and self-care. The effects of trauma are not limited to the psychological realm, but also impact our bodies, leading to somatic symptoms and altered perceptions of the world around us. It's important to remember that our brains are wired for survival first, and that even seemingly irrational behaviors serve a purpose in helping us cope with the aftermath of trauma. By recognizing the protective nature of these responses, we can begin to explore healthier ways to regulate our emotions and manage the impact of trauma on our lives.
Neural traces of past traumas can lead to emotional flashbacks: Understanding emotional flashbacks, triggered by past traumas, can help manage responses to triggers and improve communication and emotional access.
Our past traumas leave neural traces that can be activated by triggers, leading to strong physical and emotional responses. These responses can alter our perception of reality, creating an emotional flashback where the external world matches our internal state. During an emotional flashback, our brains filter information to align with our feelings and beliefs, creating a loop that can be difficult to break. For example, feeling threatened can result in extreme fatigue or exhaustion, making it hard to communicate or access emotions. Being aware of these emotional flashbacks is crucial for understanding and managing our responses to triggers.
Focus on regulating body and emotions during traumatic experiences: During emotional flashbacks or traumatic experiences, focus on physical and emotional regulation through practices like breathing, holding hands, and setting intentions to reduce conflict and change emotional state.
During traumatic experiences or emotional flashbacks, it's essential to focus on regulating the body and emotions rather than trying to intellectually think our way out of it. The survival brain, which is nonverbal, is activated during such situations, and suppressing emotions or creating defensive stories can make things worse. Instead, we should address the trauma at the level of the physical and emotional bodies through practices like breathing, holding hands, and setting intentions. This can help change the emotional state and reduce conflict in relationships. The brain structures affected by chronic stress or traumatic events include the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, with the amygdala becoming larger and the prefrontal cortex getting shut down more. Understanding these changes can help individuals gain a better perspective on the impact of trauma on their brains and bodies.
Impairment of prefrontal cortex-amygdala connection due to trauma: Trauma can disrupt brain connectivity, impairing prefrontal cortex's ability to inhibit fear response from amygdala. Neural exercises, eye exercises, respiration exercises, and sensory stimulation can help strengthen the connection and improve emotional regulation.
Traumatic experiences can disrupt the connectivity between different parts of the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for inhibiting the fear response from the amygdala, but chronic stress and trauma can impair its ability to do so. This can lead to increased reactivity and more frequent experiences of fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions. However, the brain's neuroplasticity allows for healing and the formation of new neural connections. Intentional practices such as neural exercises, eye exercises, respiration exercises, and sensory stimulation can help activate and strengthen the connection between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, leading to improved emotional regulation and overall well-being. By providing the brain with the necessary stimulation in a safe environment, we can change the neural patterns and create a healthier, more balanced response to stress and trauma.
Learning to listen to our bodies for overall well-being: Intentionally training the vagus nerve helps create a foundation of safety to make positive changes in relationships, food habits, and work by accurately interpreting bodily signals
Focusing on the nervous system and learning to listen to the signals from our bodies is crucial for overall well-being and making lasting changes in areas such as relationships, food habits, and work. Many people, including the speaker, have spent much of their lives disconnected from their bodies due to trauma or chronic stress, which can lead to dissociation and an inability to interpret bodily signals accurately. This can result in repeating harmful patterns and feeling unsafe in one's own skin. By intentionally training the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in interpreting bodily signals, individuals can create a foundation of safety that allows them to make positive changes in various aspects of their lives. It's only when we learn to feel safe in our bodies and hear its signals that we can truly grow and heal.
The importance of vagus nerve health for managing stress: Chronic stress can damage the vagus nerve, impairing communication between body and brain and leading to health issues. Support vagus nerve health through practices like deep breathing, meditation, and gentle movement.
The health of our vagus nerve is crucial for our ability to manage stress and maintain optimal health. The vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that runs from the brain stem to the pelvis, plays a significant role in carrying signals from our organs to the brain and activating the parasympathetic nervous system response, which helps us relax and digest. However, chronic stress and trauma can damage or impinge the vagus nerve, leading to impaired communication between the body and brain, and an inability to effectively respond to stress. This can result in a constant state of sympathetic nervous system activation, which can contribute to various health issues such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. It's important to be aware of the impact of stress on our vagus nerve and take steps to support its health through practices such as deep breathing, meditation, and gentle movement.
Understanding the impact of stress on the nervous system: Stress affects each person's unique nervous system, influencing overall well-being. Applied neurology focuses on individualized approaches to healing and managing stress.
Our nervous system is unique to each individual and is significantly impacted by both major and minor traumas, as well as the daily stresses of modern life. This intricate network is closely connected to every system in our body, and its health directly influences our overall well-being. The effects of stress on the nervous system can manifest in various ways, such as migraines, pain, fatigue, and disordered eating. It's essential to understand and learn how to work with our unique nervous systems to heal and manage stress effectively. Applied neurology emphasizes this individualized approach, empowering individuals to discover their specific deficits and develop a personalized toolkit for healing. Blanket solutions, like vagus nerve exercises, may not be effective for everyone, as our responses to stimuli are influenced by our unique neuromatrix, shaped by our past experiences, beliefs, and daily routines. By teaching people to understand their own nervous systems and create customized training protocols, we can promote a more effective and empowering method of healing.
Learning to intentionally train our nervous system: Starting where you are and implementing practical tools can lead to healing and change in our lives, rather than focusing solely on past traumas through talk therapy.
Our nervous system plays a crucial role in every aspect of our lives, from our relationships and performance at work to our physical health and pain perception. It's our operating system, and learning to intentionally train it can help us move past past traumas and stressors without revisiting them over and over again. While talk therapy can be helpful for some, focusing solely on the trauma through conversation can lead to further dysregulation and harmful protective outputs in the body. Instead, starting where you are and implementing practical tools to regulate your nervous system can lead to healing and change. Visit BrainBasedDashWellness.com for free resources and ways to get started on your journey to becoming the expert of your own nervous system.
