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Healing From
Trauma - 3
The Natural Trauma
Response Levine and others contend that emotional trauma goes unhealed
when the natural trauma response is interrupted and feelings unleashed by
the event remain unresolved. Because of this, anxiety, anger, depression,
guilt, hopelessness, self-blame, shame and other feelings freeze up inside
of us.
That "freeze" is not just
emotional, but physical as well. Recent research indicates that parts of
the brain become altered by traumatic events. These disruptions are
actually visible on brain scans.
Just what is a natural
trauma response? It's the whole continuum of emotional and physical
sensations that occur with the first inclination that something is wrong
or dangerous. To understand it, Levine suggests that we look at how
animals respond to danger, real or perceived.
After the animal has
instinctively chosen to fight, flee or freeze, and the danger has passed,
the animal twitches and trembles throughout the entire body, essentially
"shedding" the tension required for alertness and quick response.
Human response to
danger—real or perceived—can also involve shaking, sweating, crying,
laughing or shuddering. Just like the animal, such responses are natural
and part of the body's effort to return to a state of equilibrium. They
are crucial to the recovery process, and they may go on for hours, days or
weeks.
Too often, however, we
deny this process or don't give it its due. We say to ourselves or hear
from others, Pull yourself together. Forget about it. Get up and shake it
off. It's time to get on with your life.
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