Meditation can be a great tool used for calming us down, allowing us to think more clearly, boost our immune system, and can also be helpful as a tool for a wide range of psychological problems. However, as survivors of trauma, we need to make sure we approach meditation with caution, as without guidance from professionals, meditation can be more stressful than supportive. 

Trauma and Meditation

Trauma occurs when our nervous system becomes overwhelmed by an experience, or experiences, which it is unable to process correctly. If trauma has occurred in childhood, it is entirely possible that we are not aware of the extent it may have impacted us. It is possible that when attempting to meditate, we may reopen old traumatic wounds. Without the proper guidance of a professional, we may become re-traumatised and lose ourselves yet again in painful memories or experiences. 

One of the most common meditation techniques is the Body Scan which is where we focus our attention on various parts of the body. It’s a great way to become present and really pay attention to how we feel inside our bodies rather than in our minds. However as trauma survivors who may store trauma within our bodies, it is possible that we may discover unknown, buried trauma. 

Although the crux of meditation is about trying to stay with our experience without attempting to change it, this does not mean forcing ourselves to experience inner torture. If a meditation practice becomes overwhelming in any way, it is much better to move away from the experience and return to it again at another time. Overwhelm during meditation is not uncommon for trauma survivors, which is why it is important to have the support of professionals who understand trauma whilst you attempt the practice.

Dr Peter Levine, a psychologist specialising in trauma, borrowed a concept normally used in Chemistry to demonstrate how we should approach traumatic wounds. The concept is known as titration. In his book “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness”, Dr Levine discusses what would happen if we were to carelessly mix two reactive chemical compounds together all at once. Obviously we would cause an explosion. However, he explains, if we were to mix the same two substances very slowly, just one drop at a time in a safe container, then instead of an explosion we would simply see a small, controlled fizz with each drop. We can apply this concept to all trauma work, including meditation. Firstly it should occur in a “safe container” – with an informed and trusted trauma professional, then secondly it should happen incrementally. For example, in meditation if we are able to bring our attention to a pleasant bodily sensation and then allow ourselves to explore the safer edges of a difficult traumatic experience, before returning back again to the pleasant sensation, we have a better change of working through the traumatic material. However this takes skill and needs a professional guide in order to support us through the process. Without knowing how to properly and professionally titrate, and work through the inevitable challenging feelings the trauma material will evoke, we will most likely end up re-traumatising ourselves. 

Ultimately meditation can be a great tool used for both our own wellbeing and also our recovery from trauma. Practiced properly it has the ability to transform lives. However, it is a serious practice and needs to be respected as such. It has the capacity to reopen old wounds that can be devastating to our trauma recovery. At Khiron Clinics we use meditation as part of our recovery programme and find it to be enormously successful. However it is of course practiced in a controlled environment and always with trauma specialists present. 

If you have a client, or know of someone who would benefit from guided and trauma informed meditation practice – reach out to Khiron. We believe that we can stop the revolving door of treatment and misdiagnosis by providing effective residential and out-patient therapies for underlying psychological trauma. Allow us to help you find the path to effective, long lasting recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

References:

Levine, P. A. In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. Berkeley: North Atlantic, 2010.

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According to Timothy Brewerton from the Medical University of South Carolina, ‘The issues of psychiatric comorbidity and trauma history are unavoidable for clinicians who diagnose and treat patients with eating disorders (EDs).^[1]Brewerton, Timothy. (2007). Eating Disorders, Trauma, and Comorbidity: Focus on PTSD. Eating disorders. 15. 285-304. 10.1080/10640260701454311.’ He also states that trauma is more commonly found to have been experienced by individuals presenting with bulimic eating disorders or eating disorders characterised by bulimic symptoms such as binge eating disorder. A study conducted in 2001 found that ‘women who reported sexual trauma were significantly more likely to exhibit abnormal eating behaviors than controls, including higher rates of both PTSD and EDs [Eating Disorders].^[2]ibid’ 

However more recent studies, such as the study by Karen Mitchell et al which looked at comorbidity among both men and women with eating disorders, found that many other types of interpersonal trauma can also lead to an eating disorder. In her study she reported that ‘the vast majority of women and men with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) reported a history of interpersonal trauma.^[3]Mitchell KS, Mazzeo SE, Schlesinger MR, Brewerton TD, Smith BN. Comorbidity of partial and subthreshold PTSD among men and women with eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication … Continue reading’

There are many different forms of trauma that can lead to eating disorders, including but not limited to: physical and emotional neglect, physical and emotional abuse and bullying. Essentially any trauma that causes the sufferer to experience PTSD is a risk factor for eating disorders. ’The National Women’s Study reported a lifetime prevalence of PTSD in 36.9% of women with bulimia nervosa (BN), in 21.0% of women with binge eating disorder (BED), and 11.8% in women with no eating disorder.^[4]Dansky BS, Brewerton TD, Kilpatrick DG, O’Neil PM. The National Women’s Study: Relationship of victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder to bulimia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord. … Continue reading’

Understanding exactly why there is a link between trauma and eating disorders is still unclear. What we do understand about trauma is that it dysregulates the nervous system, which in turn makes it difficult for the trauma survivor to regulate their emotions alone. Therefore they may turn to food, or eating disorder behaviours in order to help self-soothe.

If you have a client, or know of someone who is struggling with an eating disorder of any kind, reach out to Khiron. We believe that we can stop the revolving door of treatment and misdiagnosis by providing effective residential and out-patient therapies for underlying psychological trauma. Allow us to help you find the path to effective, long lasting recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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The importance of the connection between the body and the mind is something that has been understood for many, many years within Eastern traditions, and more recently the Western world has also been taking an interest in some of the wisdom from the east.

Yoga is one of these pieces of eastern wisdom that the west has adopted for a while now. ‘Yoga is defined as a mind/body practice comprised of physical postures (asanas), breath work, meditation, and relaxation.^[1]Cook-Cottone CP (2015) Mindfulness and yoga for self-regulation: A primer for mental health professionals. Springer, New York, USA as discussed in Cook-Cottone, Catherine & LaVigne, Melissa & … Continue reading’ Every year more and more people in the west are practicing yoga. Further, it ‘is increasingly used to enhance outcomes for those with mental health challenges including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.^[2]Cook-Cottone, Catherine & LaVigne, Melissa & Guyker, Wendy & Travers, Lindsay & Lemish, Erga & Elenson, Paige. (2017). Trauma-Informed Yoga: An Embodied, Cognitive-Relational … Continue reading’ 

Yoga has been demonstrated to benefit the treatment of mental health conditions because it promotes mindfulness and awareness through a combination of physical movements, breathing exercises and relaxation. 

There is a body of work building for the use of yoga as part of the PTSD recovery process. Bessel van der Kolk used a randomised control trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. The conclusion of his trial was that yoga ‘significantly reduced PTSD symptomatology, with effect sizes comparable to well-researched psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic approaches.^[3]van der Kolk, Bessel & Stone, Laura & West, Jennifer & Rhodes, Alison & Emerson, David & Suvak, Michael & Spinazzola, Joseph. (2014). Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for … Continue reading’ He also found that yoga could improve how trauma victims are able to function daily by ‘helping them to tolerate physical and sensory experiences associated with fear and helplessness and to increase emotional awareness and affect tolerance.^[4]ibid.’

When interviewed about the effects of yoga on traumatised people, Bessel said ‘”Yoga was more effective than any medication… medication can be quite nice to sort of dampen some of the symptoms. But in the end, people need to own their bodies, they need to own their physical experiences. And, in order to overcome your trauma, it needs to be safe to go inside and to experience yourself.”^[5]https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/01/12/treating-trauma-yoga accessed 13/9/2019’

Treating Trauma

When an individual experiences a trauma, the body can become dysregulated either because it becomes over activated or because the fight or flight response isn’t properly completed. The trauma could then remain in the body, only to reappear at some innocuous time in the individual’s future. The trauma remains locked within the body and can manifest itself as physical pain in its attempt to get out. 

One symptom of trauma is that it can impair the brain’s cognitive functions, such as the ability to remember, verbalise and/or properly process the experiences. Because of this, therapists may sometimes find that, when working with traumatised individuals, talk therapy can sometimes not be enough. ‘Furthermore, trauma and its effects are so often entrenched and complex that a change in a cognitive frame or behavioral pattern ignores a very basic but critical element: the body.^[6]Perzichilli, T. The Benefits of Yoga for Trauma Treatment and Mind-Body Wellness. https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/benefits-of-yoga-for-trauma-treatment-mind-body-wellness-0816175 accessed on … Continue reading’

As Bessel van der Kolk says ‘”What there is too much emphasis on is the capacity of the cognitive rational brain to conquer our irrational survival brain. Neuroscience has really helped us understand that you can’t talk yourself out of being in love, or being angry, or hating particular people because these are not rational processes, and reason has only very limited capacities to override these more primitive survival issues. And so, you need to not rely on reason, you need rely on mastery of your body, safety of your body, finding peace in your body.”^[7]https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/01/12/treating-trauma-yoga accessed on 13/9/2019’

This is why techniques that ‘help increase awareness of internal states and physiological responses to both internal and external stimuli have demonstrated promise in addressing trauma in the body.^[8] Perzichilli, T. The Benefits of Yoga for Trauma Treatment and Mind-Body Wellness. https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/benefits-of-yoga-for-trauma-treatment-mind-body-wellness-0816175 accessed on … Continue reading’ Being able to bring someone back into their body, where their pain is still stored, is often a key to unlocking it and enabling them to release what was trapped, ultimately building a path towards healing. 

At Khiron Clinics, we use yoga as part of our treatment and find it to be really beneficial for many of our clients. If you or a loved one have been struggling to find the help you need, and are tired of the cycle of merry-go-round treatment, reach out to us at Khiron Clinics. We can help you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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There is often the idea that when treating clients we should help them process their negative emotions. Believing that only by ridding them of these, will space be created for new, more positive feelings to gather. This is especially true in the case of trauma survivors, who often come in for treatment desperate for their unbearable pain to be relieved. They want an instant cure, and we want to be able to provide it. We can then form the mistaken assumption that in order for our clients to make any valuable progress in therapy, they need to leave the session having been made to feel hope that life is worth living, in spite of their trauma. 

But the truth is, for some survivors of horrific trauma, life just isn’t that worth living. They can’t see much hope of a brighter future. Certainly not in the immediate aftermath. And how exactly are we meant to suggest to someone who has been raped by a trusted adult for years of their life, or someone who was repeatedly beaten by an alcoholic parent, that there is a “light at the end of the tunnel”? That they will feel “better” with time? For people who have suffered such indelible, profound trauma, we should not have hope that they can be purged of their negative thoughts and feelings, and they need to know that there isn’t any instant remedy to help ease the pain healthily. 

Which route to take?

When treating survivors of trauma it can be difficult to know what route to take. Trying to rid a client of their negative feelings around what happened to them by asking them to talk about it, could potentially make them feel much worse. Even asking these clients seemingly non invasive questions about their emotional state, such as “how are you feeling today?”, may amplify their state of depression or anger. 

However, at the same time, trying to ask a client to focus on a time in the future when they won’t feel as bad as they do currently, or trying to put any form of positive spin on what happened, can make clients feel manipulated into feeling something they aren’t ready to feel yet. It might also seem as though you are trying to minimise the extent of what happened for them. 

In situations like these, we need to look at how we can move our clients gently through their lives. We know that as human beings our greatest motivation to keep going lies in our relationships with other people. When we feel like we can’t cope, or don’t believe that we are worth fighting for, more often than not we will fight for those closest to us. The people that support us and the people that depend on us. Our clients are no different. By taking the focus away from themselves and turning it to their ordinary, mundane obligations, we can show them their incentive to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Slow but steady

In these early stages of treatment, things need to move slowly. It is often the simplest actions that can have the most profound effect. For example, people often laugh at the British saying that everything can be solved with a cup of tea. It may seem like something so trivial in moments of serious stress and anxiety, however the familiarity of making and drinking a cup of tea can help, simply by reminding those affected by a traumatic event, that normal life is still happening around them. 

Similarly the cliched phrases such as “taking things minute by minute”, are also exactly what sometimes just needs to be done. Slowing everything down and focussing on the moment can make life seem bearable. Asking clients to make a list of everything they need to do and can feasibly achieve in a day, may help them as they can move through each task one at a time, marking them off once completed. Focusing on the small things can be enormously helpful for clients in early recovery. And things like list making allows clients to see where progress is being made, even when they feel like none is. 

As contradictory as it might seem, the best distraction from past traumatic experiences is to be fully present. We may not be able to change the past for our clients, nor can we force them to be hopeful. But we can help them realise that there is no instant fix. No immediate cure that will take the pain away but, by living in the moment, and moving forward incredibly slowly, they will begin to find their own sources of hope and motivation in their daily lives and routines that will enable them to keep going. 

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron Clinics can help you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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When a reaction is triggered by a traumatic experience, the response will either be sympathetic hyperarousal or parasympathetic blunting. A client experiencing sympathetic hyperarousal will be highly emotional, have a lot of physical energy and they will struggle to self regulate or calm themselves down. On the other end of the spectrum is parasympathetic blunting – when a client will have little access to cognitive function, their physical energy will be very low as will their emotional levels. Understanding what happens in the nervous system helps us react appropriately to clients in either of these states. 

Whatever your client may be going through, whether they have serious suicidal ideations, are extremely agitated, fully dissociated and numb or switching between states, in order for them to properly engage in therapy, you need to be able to help them separate from the extreme state that they are in. The ultimate goal for our clients who are experiencing either sympathetic hyperarousal or shut down is to get them to a place where they can observe what is happening internally for them. The way to do this is guide them to shift states, become mindfully present and feel safe enough to follow your guidance.

During sympathetic hyperarousal, the areas of our brains that can usually help calm things down aren’t accessible. They are offline. The therapist’s job is to help the client bring that part of their brain back online. This involves making sure you stay present and neutral throughout your client’s experience. In doing this, you will become the “shared rational brain” whilst your client is unable to access their own. As the rational brain you will need to greet their reaction with confidence and clarity and not allow yourself to react or become overwhelmed. 

When clients are in any form of hyper aroused state it is important that you separate them from the feeling. If you try to focus on the emotion or sensations within the body, it is likely that you will increase the intensity of those feelings. If a client is highly aroused, you may want to ask them to take a moment to do something else – read something, check their emails or try to meditate. Anything that enables them to step away from their emotional state and eventually observe their reaction. 

On the other end of the scale is treating a client who is experiencing parasympathetic blunting which ‘activates the dorsal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system.^[1]Anderson, F. Responding to Extreme Trauma Symptoms retrieved from https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/blog/details/1079/using-neuroscience-in-therapy accessed on 7th August 2019’ When this is activated it will cause different parts of the brain to disconnect, or go offline, including the amygdala – which is the emotional part or the brain, the insula – which is the part of the brain which connects to the body and to our awareness and lastly the hippocampus, anterior cingulate, and prefrontal cortex all of which process the information we receive and allow us to respond appropriately to it. When all of these areas of the body are switched off we become totally disconnected from our own bodies, our feelings and our rational mind. As you can see a client who is experiencing parasympathetic blunting, they will appear completely different to a client who is in a state of hyperarousal. Because of this, the way you treat the client will also be very different. 

‘Hypoarousal originates from lower, more primitive brain structures and works its way up to higher, more evolved structures, so bottom-up interventions make sense here, compared to top-down strategies with hyperarousal.^[2]Anderson, F. Responding to Extreme Trauma Symptoms retrieved from https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/blog/details/1079/using-neuroscience-in-therapy accessed on 7th August 2019’ This basically means that with clients who are totally shut down, you will need to start working with the body and bodily sensations before you will be able to work on any sort of emotional experience or thought. Generally it will take a client who is in a state of shut down much longer to feel safe and engage with the therapy than a client in an aroused state. Knowing this, allow yourself to take your time, give the client control of the situation and go at the the speed that they dictate. Always remember that clients in an extreme state of emotional shut down will be responding to an internal sense of very serious danger. 

It is often hard to remain neutral if a client is very overwhelmed, or sit with the client and allow them to control their session. It is natural to want to relate to empathise with a client if they are in an extreme hyperaroused state, but this may increase their emotional state. The same goes for trying to cognitively engage with a client in shut down. This is not something they will be ready or able to do and may actually just exacerbate their feeling of disconnection. Instead of resorting to our natural impulse to intellectualise what they are experiencing, encourage them to sense it deep in their body. 

Using these interventions, guided by the knowledge neuroscience gives us as to the origins of the reactions, eventually your client should be able to move to a place they feel safe enough to engage with the therapeutic process. 

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Many survivors of trauma allow themselves, often compulsively, to be put again and again in situations that are similar to their original traumas. For those that have survived a traumatising childhood, chaos is normal and familiar. Unbeknown to most trauma survivors, an addiction to the feelings the abuse stimulated can often ensue. This addiction can cause you to become intensely attached to others who replicate a similar feeling of chaos within you. You ‘feel biochemically attracted to those who resemble [your] early childhood predators because they mirror the severe highs and lows [your] bodies went through in childhood.^[1]Arabi, S. The Invisible War Zone: 5 Ways Children Of Narcissistic Parents Self-Destruct In Adulthood. … Continue reading’

It’s unusual however that traumatised individuals will be conscious of the fact that they are repeating previous life experiences. Freud recognised certain repetitive behaviours in his clients and called it, “repetition compulsion”. Today you may also hear it being called the effect of childhood conditioning or “trauma reenactment”. 

There have been many theories suggested to explain why trauma survivors reenact their past trauma, ‘Freud thought that the aim of repetition was to gain mastery, but clinical experience has shown that this rarely happens; instead, repetition causes further suffering for the victims or for people in their surroundings.^[2]van der Kolk, Bessel. (1989). The compulsion to repeat the trauma. Re-enactment, revictimization, and masochism. The Psychiatric clinics of North America. 12. 389-411.’ Others have suggested that survivors of trauma can be easy targets for predators because of their poor coping strategies and ego deficits and these typical psychological vulnerabilities that trauma survivors often have is what causes the reenactment^[3]Levy MS. A helpful way to conceptualize and understand reenactments. J Psychother Pract Res. 1998;7(3):227–235.. In Judith Herman’s book, “Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror”” she says that trauma survivors are ‘burdened by major impairments in self-care, in cognition and in memory, in identity, and in the capacity to form stable relationships.^[4]Herman JL: Trauma and Recovery. New York, Basic Books, 1992 as discussed in Arabi, S. The Invisible War Zone: 5 Ways Children Of Narcissistic Parents Self-Destruct In Adulthood. … Continue reading’

When trauma survivors reenact their past trauma, they may take on the role of either the victim or the perpetrator. More often than not, criminals have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused as young people. In numerous studies and papers, Dorothy Lewis has examined the links between adverse childhood experiences and subsequent violent acts towards others. In one study ‘she showed that of 14 juveniles condemned to death for murder in the United States in 1987, 12 had been brutally physically abused, and five had been sodomized by relatives.^[5]Lewis D, Pincus J, Bard B et al: Neuropsychiatric, psychoeducational and family characteristics of 14 juveniles condemned to death in the United States, Am J Psychiatry 145:584-589, 1988 as discussed … Continue reading’ 

As well as causing violence to others, trauma survivors often cause themselves violence. They will use many forms of self destruction when still children such as head banging, biting, and burning or cutting themselves. In a controlled doubled blind study that Bessel van der Kolk did looking at trauma that may have occurred prior to the development of borderline personality disorder, he found  ‘a highly significant relationship between childhood sexual abuse and various kinds of self-harm later in life, particularly cutting and self-starving.^[6]van der Kolk B, Herman J, Perry J: Childhood trauma and self destructive behavior in adulthood. Unpublished data, 1988 as discussed in van der Kolk, Bessel. (1989). The compulsion to repeat the … Continue reading’

As previously mentioned, trauma survivors also frequently take on the role of victim again. ‘Victims of rape are more likely to be raped and women who were physically or sexually abused as children are more likely to be abused as adults. Victims of child sexual abuse are [also] at high risk of becoming prostitutes.^[7]van der Kolk, Bessel. (1989). The compulsion to repeat the trauma. Re-enactment, revictimization, and masochism. The Psychiatric clinics of North America. 12. 389-411.’

The hope for many abused children is that they will be able to grow up, escape their abusers and therefore be free of the trauma that bound them. Sadly, very rarely is this the case. As Judith Herman says in her book, “the survivor is left with fundamental problems in basic trust, autonomy, and initiative [and as such] she {or he} is still a prisoner of childhood; attempting to create a new life, she re-encounters the trauma.”

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

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When treating shock trauma there is the need to re-regulate the nervous system after an overwhelming experience. This is based on the premise that the nervous system has a state of before-trauma well-being that the individual can revert to. Most people should have a balanced nervous system and a physiology in place that was established in early childhood which can be returned to when working with a therapist after a shock trauma.  

However this article would like to examine the issues that could arise if this foundation of a balanced and regulated nervous system never existed. If a patient has not been able to form a healthy physiology in childhood then a balanced nervous system will need to be encouraged and developed during therapy. 

How is a healthy, regulated nervous system formed? 

Secure attachment is the foundation for a balanced and healthy physiology and nervous system. After a baby is born, when there is a healthy attachment the mother and baby become attuned to each other as they match each others state moment by moment. The mutual gazes and sounds that are made work to coordinate their rapid responses to each other. This is a form of communication that is deeply unconscious with moments of extremely intense arousal and engagements as well as smaller periods of healthy disengagement which allows for rest states. It is in this synchronised union between mother and baby that the mother naturally balances her child’s nervous system along with many other parts of their development including their immune system, their bodily functions, brain development and their emotional states. Obviously there will be times when mother and baby are not as in tune as is needed and the baby will start to feel stressed, however the mother should be able to quickly notice these moments of hyper or hypo arousals and act to reinstate balance back into the system. Through this subtle and subconscious process, a healthy psychological attachment slowly develops. Bonding occurs in a secure and healthy way and internal emotional structures are built and form a solid foundation. This is what is known as a healthy and regulated nervous system. 

How can the nervous system become dysregulated? 

In some cases the conditions between mother and baby are not conducive to the development of a healthy foundation. Some reasons that could contribute to the development of an unhealthy foundation are that the caregiver could be suffering with depression or anxiety, they could be traumatised, addicted to drugs or alcohol, isolated or simply stressed and lacking support that they need. 

When a baby is held by a mother suffering with depression, the baby will match the mother’s state of numbness in order to try to be seen and connect with their caregiver. If the mother has anxiety, the baby can tune into that and may even try to regulate her. These two examples are just two of a plethora that can manifest themselves between mother and baby. Scenarios like this can have a severe negative impact on the development of the nervous system, on the experience of bonding that is meant to occur between mother and child and consequentially the potential for future disorders increases exponentially for the child.

According to Allan Schore, ‘from late pregnancy through the second year the brain is in a critical period of accelerated growth, a process that consumes higher amounts of energy than any other stage in the lifespan, and so it requires sufficient amounts of not only nutrients, especially long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (Dobbing, 1997) but also regulated interpersonal experiences for optimal maturation (Levitsky & Strupp, 1995; Schore, 1994)^[2]Schore, Allan. EFFECTS OF A SECURE ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIP ON RIGHT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, AFFECT REGULATION, AND INFANT MENTAL HEALTH. INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Vol. 22(1–2), 7–66 (2001)’. He also says that during this period the brain is ‘susceptible to adverse environmental factors such as nutritional deficits and dysregulating interpersonal affective experiences, both of which negatively impact infant mental health^[3]ibid’. Schore also theorises that within this period of time we are able to “download” our nervous systems from our caregivers and therefore we are totally dependant or the stability of our caregivers own nervous to determine our future stability. 

If there hasn’t been a synchronised regulation between the baby and its caregiver, the baby will never be able to self regulate once it reaches adulthood. It is most likely that the person will forever bounce between states of arousal which could look like anxiety (flight) or anger (fight), and depression which is essentially the shut down or freeze state. Many different symptoms could present themselves to this individual. They may look like anxiety, depression, fear, worry, anger, or as Benjamin Fry suggests in his book The Invisible Lion, they could also be any of the multitude of unexplained medical symptoms. ‘When we look at things in terms of the nervous system, it’s not a huge leap to suggest that if you have unfinished business [in this case an under or undeveloped nervous system] … this is going to create a biochemical change in your body.^[4]Fry Benjamin. The invisible lion. p.85.’

Often when these symptoms start occurring, the individual will turn to destructive behaviours and coping mechanisms to try to self regulate. This can look like OCD, substance abuse, process addictions or simply an unexplained nervous breakdown. Their relationships may start to break down and they may not understand what is happening in their lives but they feel like they just can’t cope. 

There is however good news, the brain is a wonderfully malleable instrument and the area where the nervous system is regulated can be transformed once you are aware that your issue lies in a dysregulated nervous system. Through therapeutic work you are able to rebuild a sense of trust and a safe relationship with someone else. Meditation and learning about your own boundaries and nervous system will also help you re-regulate what was never fully regulated due to cumulative developmental trauma. 

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

The post Cumulative Developmental Trauma, Early Dysregulation of the Nervous System and their Impact. appeared first on Khiron Clinics.

It was American physiologist, Walter Cannon, who first coined the term “fight or flight” when he realised that certain reactions took place inside the body when a person was faced with a threatening situation. These reactions helped mobilise all the resources needed to deal with the imminent danger. 

The Fight or Flight Response Explained:

When the body is faced with acute stress it causes a sudden release of hormones which activate the body’s sympathetic nervous system. The nervous system then stimulates the adrenal glands which release catecholamines. Catecholamines are comprised of both adrenaline and noradrenaline. This release tells the body to speed up its heart and breathing rate as well as blood pressure. Once the threat is no longer there, it will normally take the body up to 60 minutes to return to its pre-arousal state. If you think back to the last time you experienced something thrilling or frightening, I’m sure you were aware of how your heart and breathing rate sped up and that your whole body was tense, ready to take action. 

This fight or flight response can happen when you are faced with some sort of physical danger, such as a vicious dog growling and barking at you, or what you may understand as a psychological threat, like having to take an important exam or stand up and speak publicly. 

Physical Signs of the Fight or Flight Response and their Function: 

Increased heart and breathing rate: This happens so that you can provide the extra energy and oxygen to your body needed to fuel an immediate response to the threat. 

Dilated pupils: Your pupils dilate so that you are able to receive more light into your eyes. This gives you the ability to see your surroundings better which is necessary as you need to be hyper observant and vigilant during times of danger. 

Your skin becomes pale or flushed: As your body prepares you to either fight or flee the blood leaves the surface of your body and goes into the important large muscles needed to take action. This can leave you looking paler than usual. The blood also rushes to the head and brain, so you could also alternate between both looking flushed when this happens and pale as it drains into the muscles. During times of stress, your body’s ability to clot its blood also increases. This is in case you are wounded from the threat and will prevent you from losing excess blood. 

Shaking: When faced with an imminent threat, or under stress, your body becomes primed and it tenses up – ready to act. When your muscles are so tense they may start to shake or tremble. 

Why it is needed:

The fight or flight response is critical for our survival. It prepares the body to act in the face of an immediate threat. However, this response can also be triggered when the threat is imaginary or historical. 

The stress that your body is put under in a scary situation can be useful as it makes it more likely that you will be able to cope with the threat. Psychological stress can actually help you perform better in certain situations where you are required to do well, such as at work or school. In the event that you do actually run into immediate and life threatening danger, the fight or flight response is there to give you the best chance of surviving. 

Because the response is automatic, it is not always accurate. You may find you respond this way even when there is no real, visible threat. It is what Benjamin Fry refers to when he talks about “the invisible lion” in his book of the same name. It is possible that our fight or flight response has been previously triggered in the face of a very real threat, but then if not discharged properly, it remains somewhat dormant in us until triggered again in the present, less threatening context, releasing the same reaction it necessitated in the first instance. 

One way to help you cope with situations like the invisible lion is to understand the body’s natural fight or flight response. When you notice that this reaction is kicking in and you are becoming tense, you can teach yourself ways to calm you down. 

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What are boundaries? 

Boundaries are what allow us to have a sense of who and what we are. They give us the ability to see how we differ from other people, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. They exist to protect us. Our boundaries are never really fixed, they change depending on how we feel and who we are with at a certain time. When we have boundaries that are intact we can understand that we are separate to others – we have separate thought, feelings and realities. 

Healthy boundaries are generally developed throughout childhood and adolescence. At this stage in your life you don’t have the emotional intelligence to already have healthy boundaries set, so you will have looked to your caregiver to provide you with them. If your caregiver, for whatever reason, was unable to uphold healthy boundaries with you as a child. It stands to reason that as an adult, you would not have been able to develop your own healthy boundaries. There are various reasons boundaries may not have been developed properly. Rokelle Lerner explores these more in her paper Boundaries for Codependents. She also makes it clear that “No parent consciously destroys a child’s boundary system. In fact, boundaries are often damaged in the name of love by parents who lack a clear sense of themselves or do not understand the importance of allowing their children to set limits.”

Our boundaries inform us as to who we are in relation to others around us. Having healthy boundaries enables us to behave appropriately and stops us from offending other people. Having healthy boundaries also lets us know when we are being abused. Someone without boundaries will not know when someone is physically, emotionally or intellectually abusing them. 

The importance of setting boundaries as a trauma survivor.

There are a number of reasons boundaries are important for suffers of trauma. Firstly any sort of trauma that you may have been through will have been a transgression of your personal boundaries, even if that trauma was not caused by another person – say if it was due to a car crash or some other accident, your personal boundaries will still have been violated. We often think of a violation of boundaries as only happening if it was an intentional act towards you from someone else. Sexual assault, for instance, is an example of your personal boundaries being violated by someone else. But even trauma caused by fire burning your house down is a transgression of your boundaries. You weren’t threatened by someone who intended to harm you, but that doesn’t change your feelings and reactions to the trauma. Your personal autonomy was taken from you and you were still forced into a very frightening situation. If you have experienced a trauma that terrified you and made you feel helpless, being able to set boundaries and have them respected is essential for your recovery. 

Boundaries make you feel safe.

When you are in recovery from trauma, your boundaries will have been broken. Because of this, the first step you will need to take is to ensure that you can feel safe again. Boundaries will play an important part in helping you to feel safe again. Setting healthy boundaries will help you communicate your own individual limits and allow you to express your comfort levels. A good way to start developing these boundaries is to enter into a therapeutic relationship with a trauma specialist. With that person you can work on reducing some of the worst symptoms of your trauma experience, such as the flashbacks, nightmares, disassociation etc, whilst also learning how to have a relationship with another person. You will be able to practice setting boundaries and relearn about self-care. 

Boundaries help with feelings of low self worth.

Boundaries are especially important for survivors of trauma because they will challenge the negative opinions trauma survivors have about themselves. Often trauma survivors will feel like they don’t deserve to be respected or valued. For some survivors of trauma, what they experienced will have been a continual violation of their own desires, personal space, emotional, and intellectual boundaries. Setting clear boundaries in recovery from trauma is a way to combat your intense and overwhelming feelings of low self worth and insecurities. 

Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron Clinics can help you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).

The post Why Consistent Boundaries are so Important for People Recovering from Trauma appeared first on Khiron Clinics.

If you’re looking for some alternative ways to celebrate, here are some excellent ideas to get you started:

1. Celebrate with non-alcoholic beverages. Mocktails, non-alcohol champagne, sodas, juices, and lemonades are all drinks you can make a serve to friends without being worried about drunkenness.
2. Host a sober party. There are many people who don’t want to drink for New Year’s, so hosting a sober party is one of the best way to get all of these people together! By doing this, nobody will feel pressured to drink, thus going back on their recovery goals.
3. Get a group together and partake in activities that don’t involve drinking. Bowling, ice skating, you name it – Groupon may even have some great deals for sober get togethers.
4. Meditate on your New Year’s resolutions. A new year means more opportunities to work towards your recovery goals. Spend the evening really honing in on the strength that it takes to achieve these goals. You will feel so refreshed and focused the next morning!
5. Watch a movie at home or at a friend’s house. Since drinking is often involved, the streets may be really dangerous to drive around late at night anyways. Watch a good movie at home or with a friend, and enjoy the good feelings that come with staying true to your recovery goals.

TV host Craig Ferguson once stated, “I got sober. I stopped killing myself with alcohol. I began to think: ‘Wait a minute – if I can stop doing this, what are the possibilities?’ And slowly it dawned on me that it [recovery] was maybe worth the risk.”

The post 5 Alternative Ways You Can Celebrate New Year’s Without Drinking appeared first on Khiron Clinics.