TRAUMA

Trauma is a state which occurs when energies that are manifested/activated in response to an event or series of events are not properly discharged. The source of trauma can be any experience that has been overwhelming to our nervous system or our capacity to cope.

Often the discharge process is interrupted when one is compelled to attend to more ‘pressing’ matters – as when, after an accident, we are pulled aside to exchange information or fill out paperwork. Thus our natural healing abilities are disrupted, and the body is forced to ‘store’ the undischarged energy in our tissues, nerve endings, organs, etc. We may become stuck in “survival” mode, even long after the event or experience itself has passed. 

   Trauma is not a disorder of the mind, but of the nervous system.      If left untreated, it can have lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive repercussions.

Numerous forms of dis-ease can develop as a result: anxiety, sleep deprivation, poor digestion, not being able to make changes, depression, panic attacks, loss of control, relationship challenges, and other psychosomatic and behavioral problems.

Sources of trauma may include accidents, falls, injuries, abuse, sexual trauma, violence, invasive surgical and dental procedures, loss, or even birth. Traumatic events need not be as overwhelming as war, natural disaster, or near-death experience – most of us, in fact, have experienced some form of trauma and may be carrying the resulting energy.

SHOCK TRAUMA & DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA

Shock trauma generally refers to a singular traumatic event such as a car accident, an earthquake, a fall, loss,  etc. Developmental trauma refers to the psychological effects of developmental stressors, as when a child has insufficient attention from the primary caregivers or an insufficiently nurturing relationship with the parent.

As the child grows into an adult, these deficiencies may hinder the ability to function within daily life and society.

In either case, very often cognitive and psychoanalytic therapies do not succeed. This is because the dysfunctions in the biology of the body and nervous system are being overlooked.