When something traumatic happens your body and brain go into survival mode. Your amygdala, the body’s alarm switches on and tells you to either fight, flight, freeze or fawn. At this point it is all about survival and so the memory can be stored in a fragmented way where your physical sensations alongside your thoughts and feelings are not connected. So this can lead to a sense of disconnection.
Another reason for the disconnect is that some people subconsciously disconnect their brain and body when they are going through something traumatic. This is called dissociation and is actually an adaptive thing to do when you are in a traumatic situation, for example if you are a child experiencing s***al abuse. But it becomes problematic when you continue to dissociate when you are safe in the present moment.
A major part of trauma therapy is helping your body and brain to reconnect. And once this happens your nervous system will regulate more easily and you’ll be able to move towards post traumatic growth. That’s one of the reasons I love EMDR so much, because it makes that connection between body and brain easily.
🩵 If you want to know more about EMDR and if it would be suitable for you then get in touch - link in bio.
#trauma #ptsd #complextrauma #cptsd #emdr #traumarecovery #eyemovementdesensitizationandreprocessing #disconnect #dissociation #depersonalization
Postraumatic growth is a positive that comes out of trauma. Going through an adverse life experience or multiple experiences can shift your perspective on everything, and that can lead to a positive shift in some areas of your life.
According to Tedeschi & Calhoun (1996), some trauma survivors will experience growth in their personal strength. Having overcome adversity they will develop a new found resilience and appreciation of life. They may develop stronger relationships with loved ones and have a deeper empathy and ability to connect with other people who have experienced adversity. For some they notice more opportunities and feel more able to embrace these. They also found that some people’s relationship to religion and spirituality changes and evolves over time.
💜 If you’re reading this and feeling disheartened because you feel exhausted and are still experiencing active trauma symptoms, know that you’re not alone, and also know that healing is possible. With time, patience, the right support and trauma therapy, you can move towards your own post-traumatic growth. Get in touch to learn more about how we can work together.
👉 I’m curious, in what ways have you seen growth?
#trauma #traumarecovery #traumahealing #posttraumaticgrowth #posttraumagrowth #complextrauma #ptsd #cptsd #healing
It’s true - I really love EMDR. And it constantly shocks me how amazing it is and the results it can get.
In fact just this week a client told me they were feeling frustrated and were questioning their progress and then we reflected on some of their self beliefs before EMDR and after. They were really shocked, they said they didn’t even realise how much their internal thoughts had changed.
In my experience and according to research, EMDR gets results quicker than other talking therapies. There is less talking which can be helpful for those who have experienced trauma. As long as you have a qualified clinician and trust the process, your body and brain will do the hard work. And your trauma memories should process and become less distressing. But for me the most crucial thing is that if you’ve done EMDR, then you shouldn’t need any further therapy on the processed memories. Once the memories are re-processed into the memory network then they just get filed away like a normal memory.
EMDR might not be for everyone so if you’re interested then I always suggest an initial consultation to learn more about it and whether it is right for you!
👉 Book a free initial consult through the link in my bio ❤️
#trauma #complextrauma #ptsd #cptsd #posttraumaticstressdisorder #emdr #eyemovementdesensitizationandreprocessing #therapy