Knowing what Your body Knows
Unraveling Trauma: The Body Knows What the Mind Forgets
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In difficult circumstances, our brains may trigger protective responses that push painful experiences out of our conscious awareness. Although we might not hold onto the memory, the physical and emotional impacts remain embedded within our bodies.
Trauma, Emotions, and The Body
Life is full of ups and downs—breakups, losing loved ones, job uncertainties, and traumatic events. These experiences can trigger intense emotions like anger, grief, or fear. However, not all of these moments lead to lasting harm.
The distinction between challenging experiences and lasting trauma often depends on our ability to process and cope with our emotions. Healthy coping can be supported by several factors, such as access to comforting loved ones, having the language to articulate our experiences, acknowledgment of our pain by those who caused it, and a strong sense of community. These resources can help reduce the impact of distressing events. Conversely, if we lack these supports and the tools to navigate our feelings—especially in the case of children—our ability to cope may be overwhelmed.
When we can’t safely express or process our emotions in the moment or when we feel completely alone in our experience, our ability to cope is compromised, thus increasing the likelihood of trauma. It’s here that our brains will employ complex mechanisms to keep us functioning.
Neuroscience of Trauma
From a neuroscientific perspective, the relationship between stress, memory processing, and emotional regulation is a well-researched area in neuroscience and psychology. Here are some key points:
Amygdala Activation : The amygdala is responsible for detecting threats and triggering the fight-or-flight response. Studies have shown that when under stress, the amygdala becomes hyperactive, which can lead to heightened emotional responses.
Hippocampus Function : The hippocampus is critical for forming and retrieving memories. High levels of stress can impair the functioning of the hippocampus, making it more difficult to access specific memories, particularly during traumatic situations.
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Putting it all together, intense stress from facing challenging situations can activate the amygdala—the brain's emotional center—triggering the "fight or flight" response when it senses a threat. If the situation feels too overwhelming, the hippocampus, crucial for memory processing, may limit access to these painful memories, creating a protective barrier.
This can lead to dissociation or emotional numbness, where people may unconsciously distance themselves from their feelings as a means of shielding themselves from overwhelming emotions, allowing them to continue functioning despite the turmoil. Although these mechanisms serve a protective function, they can ultimately result in challenges with emotional regulation over time, as we will explore further below.
Memory Processing and Trauma
Studies corroborate that traumatic memories are stored in a different manner than ordinary ones. Traumatic experiences tend to be fragmented, complicating their integration into our personal narrative. Rather than being processed as unified events, these memories may remain disjointed, which can hinder our ability to fully access the emotional pain connected to them.
The core issue
The core issue lies in how unresolved pain can become trapped within us. Parts of our psyche may remain anchored in that painful moment, frozen in time and carrying the associated emotions and energy.
This stuck energy can distort and confuse our internal landscape, increasing the likelihood of those emotions getting stuck and turned back against ourselves.
For example, someone who experienced physical abuse may have buried within them rage towards the perpetrator that was never safe to express. Instead, that trapped rage that has nowhere to go turns, into shame about themselves.
Moreover, trapped emotions can make people more prone to being triggered by anything in the environment that has a familiar feel to it, resulting in what may feel as exaggerated emotional responses. For example, a person who endured childhood trauma might find themselves feeling triggered by seemingly minor situations—like a raised voice in conversation or a deadline at work—resulting in disproportionate emotional reactions which can lead to cycles of self-criticism or self-doubt.
In the end, although our brain may be attempting to protect us, suppressing pain does not eliminate it. Instead, it manifests in indirect and unclear ways. This is why it's important to give ourselves permission to feel anger, grief, and other emotions associated with painful experiences in a safe, contained way. It's also essential to learn how to bring stuck emotions to the surface.
This will require us to allow ourselves to "know" what our body knows, face our pain, and be willing to feel it to create an opportunity for resolution.
When emotions and experiences remain hidden from view, they can fester and manifest in unpredictable ways that are difficult to identify or understand. In contrast, when we process our experiences and emotions, we develop adaptive responses, having integrated what occurred, felt and released our feelings, and gained insights and lessons that contribute to a narrative honoring our self-worth. By confronting our pain, we can transform the energy linked to it, facilitating healing and breaking the harmful cycles that may arise from unresolved emotional distress.
Trauma Recovery :
Understanding these mechanisms has led to the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at helping individuals process traumatic memories. Techniques like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and somatic experiencing are designed to help individuals reconnect with their emotions and memories, facilitating healing and reducing symptoms of trauma.
Trauma-Informed Care emphasizes understanding and responding to the effects of trauma. It involves creating a safe environment for trauma recovery and building trust between the provider and the individual, recognizing that trauma can impact a person's mental and physical health.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) : EMDR is a specialized therapy that involves guiding individuals through specific eye movements while they recall distressing memories. This process aims to help the brain reprocess trauma and reduce its emotional intensity.Somatic Experiencing : Focused on the body’s sensations, somatic experiencing helps individuals access physical responses to trauma. The goal is to release pent-up energy and help the body return to a state of equilibrium.
Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques : Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing, can help individuals stay present, reduce anxiety, and manage overwhelming emotions. Grounding techniques can assist in reconnecting with the present moment, which can be particularly helpful during flashbacks or anxiety attacks.
Narrative Therapy : This approach encourages individuals to tell their stories and reframe their experiences in a way that allows them to regain control over their narratives. It helps to externalize the trauma and separate it from their identity.
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van der Kolk, B. A. (1996). "Trauma and Memory." The Sport Psychologist , 10(3), 298-305. DOI: 10.1123/tsp.10.3.298.
D’Andrea, W., et al. (2012). "Understanding the Neurobiological Effects of Trauma in Children: The Role of Dissociation." Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics , 21(4), 675-691. DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2012.07.003.
Shapiro, F. (2001). "Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Adaptive Information Processing." Journal of Clinical Psychology , 57(8), 975-982. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20864.
Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy . New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Hi, I’m Angelica Magana, LMFT
My own path toward healing led me to explore many different avenues of wellness. Ultimately, I found that there is not one path but, instead, many different instruments for attaining health. For all these reasons, I gravitate towards a holistic approach that nurtures both mental and physical well-being in my practice.
