Traumatic events are occurring consistently and frequently in our world. In the last few months we have faced a global pandemic and nationwide struggles against racial injustice. Within the last month our local region faced the displacement of tens of thousands as massive wildfires burned up and down the west coast. Even more were confined to their homes for almost two weeks, sheltering from unprecedented levels of hazardous air quality. Here in Portland, we have witnessed months of ongoing protests, often met by violence and suppression. Any one of these events alone would be enough to cause chronic stress, depression or even trauma. Needless to say, with all we are dealing with, we need strategies to keep moving through these events and reduce the chances of long-term trauma responses.
The key to “moving through” is quite literal: movement and action. Movement is important because of how trauma develops and is stored in the body. Trauma researchers have theorized that trauma develops when we are unable to “fight back” in the face of trauma. If we are unable to fight back our system moves on to the “freeze” state as a last resort to escape danger. Spending too long in the “freeze” state, or lack of an effective release/resolution after the freeze can lodge trauma in the body, creating the long-term debilitating effects we understand as a trauma response.
The first strategy for “moving through” is shaking. Peter Levine has observed that wild animals have a productive response to resolve acute, life threatening stressors: they shake. Levine theorizes wild animals typically do not become traumatized due to this instinctual tool to release stress. Through movement animals are able to complete the stress response cycle, relieving the tension that may have otherwise built up in the body as trauma.
Shaking or using the body to move energy is not an unknown practice: Ancient practices such as Qi Gong already teach methods that include body shaking. One such Qi Gong practice includes starting with a leg or an arm, slowing shaking each individually, gradually increasing intensity of the shaking, and building into a whole body shake. Another strategy is to feel into your bodily impulses. As you feel tension in your body, allow yourself to explore how your body wants to naturally respond. Is it rolling on the floor? Making guttural noises? Tuning in to your body can reveal it’s innate wisdom, the practices it needs to release stress and prevent trauma.* If you are able, working with a somatic therapist can help you dive deeper into body-based practices for releasing stress and trauma.
The second strategy for “moving through” is identifying some action you can take. It is easy to feel completely overwhelmed at the breadth of challenges we are facing. Rather than trying to take everything on at once, try focusing on one small area where you can contribute. This might be volunteering in your community, writing weekly to your representatives, making recurring donations, attending protests at regular intervals, or providing care or support to friends and family impacted by recent events. This movement from overwhelm to action is another form of breaking our of a stuck “freeze” state. It doesn’t actually matter how big or small the action is, even small contributions can both support progress and help alleviate feelings of overwhelm.
These strategies for moving through can absolutely help with the frequent traumas and stressors present in our world today; that being said, it is crucial to acknowledge that we may still experience trauma or stress responses as a result of recent events. This is especially true if the impact has been direct (experiencing or witnessing violence first hand, losing a loved one or a home), or if there is already a past history of trauma. Trauma is not a failing or a weakness, it is a very normal physiological and neurological response. The strategies above can certainly help prevent trauma or reduce impact of stressors, but there is no shame in seeking treatment for trauma if these conditions do develop. In fact, treatment with a qualified professional is often essential in healing from trauma.
(* Any time you practice a new physical regimen, be sure to consult with your doctor or an appropriate professional. Practices such as the ones described above are not without risk and may be damaging if you have existing injuries or other physical limitations.)
For more background on somatic practices and trauma, please see the work of Peter Levine, Stephen Porges, and Deb Dana.
For Oregon residents seeking mental health treatment, my practice is currently accepting new clients: Book a free consultation