No one ever told her that the memories would come back to haunt her. Time had tucked it all away when no one believed her about the abuse. Drugs and alcohol were the only things that listened. they believed in her. Concealed from view, in the darkened corners of her mind, they were patiently waiting. Waiting for just the right time to jump out at her, surprise her, and catch her off guard. Like an unexpected movie, suddenly flashing across her mind, her memories, they presented themselves to a reluctant audience. As they created soundtracks, images, and body sensations, she was overwhelmed and alone. She walked into my office, not knowing what to do, or where to begin.

She is one, of many, who share their harrowing stories with me. The numbers are staggering of women and men who have survived sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, sexual and physical assault, let alone deaths, accidents, violence, war, catastrophic events, even traumatic loss like divorce.

You may Have Already Stopped Reading

I know that for you, this article may not apply. I may have already lost you by now. Perhaps there was no event in your life that you would define as “traumatic.” Or, it’s in the past, right? I know that what one person may consider traumatic, another may not. Perhaps you know someone who understands it all too well.

Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that the perception of being in danger, unsafe, or threatened, defines it as such. know that if you have had a sense of being unsafe or threatened, your nervous system will remember. Even if you do not define an experience as traumatic, unconsciously, your brain and nervous system can still perceive that you are in danger. when they do, their automatic functions take over, which can lead to traumatic stress.

The Doors of Perception: Fight, Flight, or Freeze

To understand how your brain works in relation to traumatic stress, imagine that a part of your brain, called the amygdala, is like a “beacon” on the edge of a coastline. The beacon’s job is to constantly scan the waters for danger, to make sure that no ships come “crashing in” to the rocky coast. Similarly, the amygdala’s job is to scan the environment, constantly looking for danger, to protect you from harm.

As long as there are no cues that appear threatening, all is calm. The water is still, and the beacon just keeps scanning. But, if the environment is perceived as dangerous, the beacon sends an immediate red alert to the nervous system. “Look out!” The nervous system hears the call and goes into overdrive. It’s only objective is to ensure your survival. it doesn’t think; it just acts. Automatically, and without your conscious choice, you move into fight, flight, or freeze mode.

Your body chooses the response, automatically. There is no right or wrong way, no morality to it, nor one that is better than the other. it fights, runs, or immobilizes you to increase the likelihood of your survival, period. Your blood pressure raises, your heart rate increases, stress hormones “kick in,” and blood goes to your extremities. Research tells us that in the wild, we can see the same thing. next time you watch a nature channel, notice it. when an animal is in danger, it fights, flees, or freezes. After the threat has gone the nervous system stabilizes, the heart rate and blood pressure return to normal, and the animal shakes the energy out of its system.

Ironically, it is the nervous system’s actions that create the very diagnosis called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Traumatic stress is, literally, the nervous system creating the fight, flight, or freeze response, over and over again. A never-ending loop, and an emotional roller coaster will ensue, for anything similar to the original trauma triggers the nervous system’s response.

Even when the threat is in the past, the amygdala just doesn’t buy it. it is threatened by thoughts, smells, emotions, physical sensations, visual images, and a myriad of other “triggers.” these triggers are stimuli that “remind” the amygdala of the original trauma, the original threatening events(s). so, it keeps sending the message that you are in danger, and to keep you safe, the nervous system keeps responding. you, on the other hand, just want it to stop. Logic and cognitive therapy, alone, won’t work, for that part of your brain is not accessible in fight, flight, or freeze. That’s why even though you “know” you are safe now, it doesn’t “feel” true. you still react, even though you don’t want to.

What Traumatic Stress “Looks Like”

So, when your nervous system reacts, you get symptoms that you cannot control or explain. Symptoms that are hard to stop “show up” automatically, even though, logically, you know it is in the past.

Certainly, no one can predict how and when memories of trauma will appear, but they can present themselves at any time. The impact of traumatic stress is so widespread that it can affect many areas of your life. The nervous system “shows” you these symptoms of trauma in many forms, no matter where you are. these are just a few ways that your system can speak to you, to let you know that your trauma is unresolved.

?Feeling extremely anxious, depressed, withdrawn, fearful

?Sleeping to much or too little

?Being drawn to drugs and alcohol

?Feeling out of your body, detached, or not connected

?Unable to maintain positive relationships

?having flashbacks or nightmares

?Feeling “flooded” by memories

?Emotional volatility

?Unexpectedly being triggered by certain sensations, smells, sensations, feelings, or visual experiences.

?Unexplained physical experiences or pains

?Finding it hard to make decisions

?Feeling guilty, damaged, not whole

If you want to address your traumatic stress in therapy, it is important to have a therapist who understands its causes, symptoms, effects, as well as how to resolve it. Trauma therapy can be very intense, and requires a great deal of you, and the therapist helping you to heal. part II of this article will address these issues, as well as treatment.

Sarah Jenkins – About the Author:

Sarah Jenkins, MC, practices therapy in Tempe Sarah helps people feel safe, validates their experiences, and helps people to resolve their issues. Sarah can be contacted here Therapist Cetennial