How the Body Processes Trauma

By: Dr. Denise Renye

Last month, I wrote a post about how to release trauma from the body. As a quick refresher, trauma is defined as anytime a person’s nervous system is overwhelmed and it impacts the person’s ability to cope on a physical as well as emotional/spiritual level. . That could be from war, a car accident, abuse (sexual, physical, verbal, financial, or emotional), a sudden death or experiencing a near  death of your own or someone important to you, miscarriage, repeated childhood neglect, poverty and class differences, racism, etc. This can be a one-time incident or it can be multiple  incidents over a period  of time.

During or after a traumatic event, the body can also start acting of its own accord. For instance, once I had a traumatic experience while surfing where I truly thought I was going to die. When I exited the situation, I started laughing and shaking intensely. It wasn’t something I could voluntarily control. Other bodily experiences include the following:

·      Shaking or trembling

·      Change in temperature (i.e., sweating or getting goosebumps)

·      Crying

·      Yawning

·      Clenching the muscles

·      Collapsing the muscles

·      Fidgeting and other nervous movements

Also, there are responses that are a mix of the body and the mind. For instance, after a traumatic event it’s not uncommon to withdraw, to retreat from everyone. This can be as a way to process or as a way to have reprieve from an increase in intensity of sounds, smells, and tastes. A person may not want to be touched during this time. And this is a time when a person needs to experience a sense of control as the traumatic event itself was one that was out of their control.

In that place of solitude, the person might seek solace by bingeing on TV, food, alcohol or other drugs, or sex. This may be a time when sex is used as a way to dissociate or ground in the body. Being able to differentiate between the two (or something in between) can be challenging. Working with a trained professional, such as myself, can be helpful. The world may feel like too much so the person wants to withdraw physically.

They may become avoidant of interpersonal interactions as well as sexual interactions. There is a dissociation that can occur from the body so the person may also avoid self-care activities such as eating regular meals. The internal signs of desire for sex, food, or interpersonal interaction may be switched off. It is a numbing technique that the body-mind employs as a way to keep the self safe. 

However the body wants to respond, I encourage you to listen. The body has its own wisdom so let whatever wants to occur, occur. While no one desires experiencing a traumatic event or events in their lives, the truth is that 70%  of people in the U.S. experience at least one traumatic event at some point in their lives, according to the Sidran Institute. (And I’d argue that number is closer to 100% for the past 1.5 years due to the pandemic.)  No matter the  trauma, through the healing process, one may find that it can be used as a way to connect more deeply with the body and with your purpose here in this lifetime.

Experiencing trauma is an extreme way to begin to listen to the deep inner wisdom of the body. However, because there are such high levels of trauma that people face in their lives, know that healing is possible. To quote Somatic Experiencing Creator Peter Levine, “Trauma is a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence.” Reach out to me or another highly trained professional and licensed psychologist for support.

To set up an appointment with me (Marin County Sexologist), click here.

Reference

“Traumatic Stress Disorder Fact Sheet.” Sidran Institute. November 2018. https://www.sidran.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-Fact-Sheet-.pdf