Traumatic Stress – Part I: The Doors of Perception
March 18th, 2008 |
by Sarah Jenkins, MC, LPC
Click here to contact Sarah and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
One of Many
No one ever told her that the memories would come back to haunt her. Time had tucked it all away when no one believed her about the abuse. Drugs and alcohol were the only things that listened. They believed in her. Concealed from view, in the darkened corners of her mind, they were patiently waiting. Waiting for just the right time to jump out at her, surprise her, and catch her off guard. Like an unexpected movie, suddenly flashing across her mind, her memories, they presented themselves to a reluctant audience. As they created soundtracks, images, and body sensations, she was overwhelmed and alone. She walked into my office, not knowing what to do, or where to begin.
She is one, of many, who share their harrowing stories with me. The numbers are staggering of women and men who have survived sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, sexual and physical assault, let alone deaths, accidents, violence, war, catastrophic events, even traumatic loss like divorce.
You May Have Already Stopped Reading
I know that for you, this article may not apply. I may have already lost you by now. Perhaps there was no event in your life that you would define as “traumatic.” Or, it’s in the past, right? I know that what one person may consider traumatic, another may not. Perhaps you know someone who understands it all too well.
Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that the perception of being in danger, unsafe, or threatened, defines it as such. Know that if you have had a sense of being unsafe or threatened, your nervous system will remember. Even if you do not define an experience as traumatic, unconsciously, your brain and nervous system can still perceive that you are in danger. When they do, their automatic functions take over, which can lead to traumatic stress.
The Doors of Perception: Fight, Flight, or Freeze
To understand how your brain works in relation to traumatic stress, imagine that a part of your brain, called the amygdala, is like a “beacon” on the edge of a coastline. The beacon’s job is to constantly scan the waters for danger, to make sure that no ships come “crashing in” to the rocky coast. Similarly, the amygdala’s job is to scan the environment, constantly looking for danger, to protect you from harm.
As long as there are no cues that appear threatening, all is calm. The water is still, and the beacon just keeps scanning. But, if the environment is perceived as dangerous, the beacon sends an immediate red alert to the nervous system. “Look out!” The nervous system hears the call and goes into overdrive. It’s only objective is to ensure your survival. It doesn’t think; it just acts. Automatically, and without your conscious choice, you move into fight, flight, or freeze mode.
Your body chooses the response, automatically. There is no right or wrong way, no morality to it, nor one that is better than the other. It fights, runs, or immobilizes you to increase the likelihood of your survival, period. Your blood pressure raises, your heart rate increases, stress hormones “kick in,” and blood goes to your extremities. Research tells us that in the wild, we can see the same thing. Next time you watch a nature channel, notice it. When an animal is in danger, it fights, flees, or freezes. After the threat has gone the nervous system stabilizes, the heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, and the animal shakes the energy out of its system.
Traumatic Stress
Ironically, it is the nervous system’s actions that create the very diagnosis called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Traumatic stress is, literally, the nervous system creating the fight, flight, or freeze response, over and over again. A never-ending loop, and an emotional roller coaster will ensue, for anything similar to the original trauma triggers the nervous system’s response.
Even when the threat is in the past, the amygdala just doesn’t buy it.
It is threatened by thoughts, smells, emotions, physical sensations, visual images, and a myriad of other “triggers.” These triggers are stimuli that “remind” the amygdala of the original trauma, the original threatening events(s). So, it keeps sending the message that you are in danger, and to keep you safe, the nervous system keeps responding. You, on the other hand, just want it to stop. Logic and cognitive therapy, alone, won’t work, for that part of your brain is not accessible in fight, flight, or freeze. That’s why even though you “know” you are safe now, it doesn’t “feel” true. You still react, even though you don’t want to.
What Traumatic Stress “Looks Like”
So, when your nervous system reacts, you get symptoms that you cannot control or explain. Symptoms that are hard to stop “show up” automatically, even though, logically, you know it is in the past.
Certainly, no one can predict how and when memories of trauma will appear, but they can present themselves at any time. The impact of traumatic stress is so widespread that it can affect many areas of your life. The nervous system “shows” you these symptoms of trauma in many forms, no matter where you are. These are just a few ways that your system can speak to you, to let you know that your trauma is unresolved.
●Feeling extremely anxious, depressed, withdrawn, fearful
●Sleeping to much or too little
●Being drawn to drugs and alcohol
●Feeling out of your body, detached, or not connected
●Unable to maintain positive relationships
●Having flashbacks or nightmares
●Feeling “flooded” by memories
●Body memories
●Emotional volatility
●Unexpectedly being triggered by certain sensations, smells, sensations, feelings, or visual experiences.
●Unexplained physical experiences or pains
●Finding it hard to make decisions
●Being withdrawn
●Feeling guilty, damaged, not whole
If you want to address your traumatic stress in therapy, it is important to have a therapist who understands its causes, symptoms, effects, as well as how to resolve it. Trauma therapy can be very intense, and requires a great deal of you, and the therapist helping you to heal. Part II of this article will address these issues, as well as treatment.
©Copyright 2008 by Sarah Jenkins, MC, LPC. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry. Click here to contact Sarah and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
12 comments so far
When I was little, I was always scared that someone was going to break into my house and take me. In fact, my adult fear is still that I will be taken and kept from my family, home, and life. It is interesting to read that, even though this hasn’t happened, I am traumatized by it. I had never thought that PTSD would apply to me just b/c I feared something that has never happened. Of course, I’m afraid now that if I stop fearing it, it will happen. The fear has worked in that it has kept the bad thing from happening, right? Logically, I know this isn’t true, but maybe it is the trauma of being scared all these years that is making this line of thinking true for me.
Very good article-I enjoyed it. But one question-what is body memory?
I am excited to read the second part of this article. I have found PTSD a difficult thing to help people heal from. I hope that I can learn more so that I can help my patients more who struggle with this disorder.
Jessie,
“Body Memory” is a the concept that the body actually stores and holds memories of trauma. The body can manifest sensations, for example, that are stored from the original traumatic event. What this can look like, clinically, is the body “reacting” as if it was in the trauma again, or the trauma “coming out” in the body first, then in other ways.
Hope that helps and thanks for reading my article!
It is amazing that the body has the capacity to sub consciously hold on to memories, things we mqay not even remember. Would this be like when someone says they have repressed memories? Can this create other mental illnesses beyond PTSD?
Lots of folks with trauma symptoms also have a myriad of physical symptoms to go along with it. Trauma therapists, such as myself, often see the emotional “show up” in the body. Trauma is also very “tricky” and can be misdiagnosed or mimic others diagnoses, both on a mental and physical level. Many of my clients have experienced this.
For more information, Dr. van der Kolk is a researcher on trauma and PTSD. If you want to read the research, you can start there! Hope this is helpful :)
Thank you for this; I have always believed that my incapacity to move, much less fight or flee when I was abducted by a stranger was a measure of weakness. It was as if my body betrayed me. I am learning that the strength of my character was not enough to lift his 200 lb will. But it has taken me a long time to learn that and begin to shift my flawed beliefs.
It is frustrating that a few hours as a victim can take years to heal.
I like this blog very much. I am learning much.
My uncle fought in Vietnam, and there is not a day that goes by that he still is not somewhat traumatized and paralyzed by some of the same fears that he battled while a young soldier there. His family has tried for years to try to get him to pursue help and treatment, but at almost 60, he now feels it is too late. Does the Department of Veterans Affairs offer resources for counseling for those who are haunted by wartime memories or is it best to pursue private counseling?
Lin, I work primarily with trauma survivors. I, literally, heard the exact same comment about “a few hours of my life verses years to heal” from a client recently. You are not alone, trust me on that.
Amyhop, it’s tough to say whats the “best” as that depends on the client and so many factors. What I can tell you is the the Department of Veterans Affairs does know about EMDR and trauma treatment and indicates that EMDDR is an approved treatment. You should be able to ask about it, or find note of that on the web too. If you want a private counselor, you can always call them up when you find them on EMDR.org. Many work with Veterans, may work in the VA, or will know someone who does this work. Hope that helps!
P.S. You will also note that my spelling and grammar is off today. That would be EMDR, not EMDDR ;) See what happens when we therapists have alphabet soup type names of therapies! Take care.
Sarah,
Thanks. There is a goofy comfort every time I learn ’someone else says that’, ’someone else believes that’ or ’someone else relates to that’.
Even if it was not one of my challenges, I would find it interesting that so many who have experienced any variety of traumatic events, whether defining moments or longstanding patterns of abuse or frightening environment, share the ‘aftershock’.
I am beginning to believe that it has something to do with the brain and arousal. It is difficult to find words that someone who has not experienced something similar or works with those who have will not interpret improperly, but the truth is, my abduction was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me. My whole body was pitched at a high frequency.
That is not to say there was anything even remotely good about the experience. I would trade it in a heartbeat for the kind of life with average highs and lows.
Maybe it is brain arousal. Maybe it is adrenaline. Maybe it is a combination.
I think I understand it better. Now if only I can develop some tolerance, even compassion for myself in it.
I have met with a therapist whose practice includes EMDR…even EMDDR . I am finding it helpful, though still wish things moved more quickly for me.
Thanks again for your note. I am always grateful when reminded it is not just me…though of course I wish others did not have to endure what it takes to get there.
lin
No problem, Lin. Glad you found that helpful and it connected with you. I’m also glad that you are asking those questions, and have support as you do! Take care, and I wish you the best of luck and light in your healing journey.
Best,
Sarah