Trauma and Resilience
by Poling Chan MSW, LCSW

Trauma is often referred to a highly stressful event that leaves a mark in one’s psyche. In everyday language, we may call it the “unfinished business” that aggravates a stress reaction which is often physiological in nature.

It is important to clarify that traumas are not caused by the event itself. They happen when an extreme stress overwhelms one’s ability to cope.

Some theories suggest that our body activates and mobilizes themselves in order to face a life-threatening event. It is often referred to as “a fight or flight response”. However when the event is over, the physical energy that is invoked may not be fully discharged. Such energy stays in our nervous system and is not deemed useful and can cause chaos in our bodies and mind. Peter Levine, a psychologist who advocates Somatic Experiencing, observes that animals in the wild are susceptible to danger but they are rarely traumatized, while human beings are more vulnerable after a traumatic event happens. Even though we share a similar regulatory mechanism as mammals, our survival energies continue to gather and remains “stuck” in the body. For example, a woman who is haunted by an intruder may become so alert that she will check the locks of every room she enters next time with heightened anxiety and unable to relax to a sense of safety.

There are many ways to respond to trauma. At one extreme, one may become avoidant of all fronts of stimulation, including things that remind one of the traumatic events. Emotions can become numb out to avoid the pain. Comments such as “I didn’t cry at the funeral. I didn’t feel anything” is a good illustration of the power of avoidance. The far end of this extreme is dissociation which happens when one loses touch with any reality and stray off to psychosis.

At the other extreme, we witness people become highly aroused. They become hypervigilant to all the stimuli in the environment. One trigger will snowball into a million. They may experience nightmare or insomnia. Panic attacks are common. One feels like he needs to be on guard at all times. For example, a child who is traumatized may have her sense of safety so shaken that she feels nervous going to school even though the event of trauma does not occur there.

Traumas could be single event versus repeated, prolonged trauma. Single shocking events such as natural disasters, accidents and criminal violence create high shock to the system. On the other hand, traumas which are prolonged and complex in nature tend to result in the most serious mental health issues. Since they sometimes extend over years of one’s life, it can deplete one’s adaptive coping due to the constant attack to the system.

Prolonged trauma especially inflicted by people are usually the most challenging. When the victim’s welfare is dependent on the perpetrator, the injury inflicted could be severe. For example, a child being abused by his caregiver may be haunted by the violation of trust can presents difficulties for him to trust in other relationships. In severe cases, those who have experienced repeated intentional violence, abuse, and neglect from childhood wrestle with the issue of safety, control and betrayal.

Treatment on traumas facilitates the journey to heal. A gestalt therapist may work on re-enactment and help clients to complete the “unfinished business” through dialogues. Cognitive-behavioral therapy tackles our distorted thinking and makes room for rational and adaptive behavior. Psychodynamic therapy may focus on how childhood experience is having footprints on current coping. Somatic Experiencing is a mind-body approach that focuses on regulating and discharging energy that is built up during trauma. Since 1997, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Therapy) has been discovered as an invaluable tool to relieve trauma. It activates bilateral movement of the brain to access beliefs and emotions that are associated with the traumas. EMDR helps clients to rehearse new resource within their mind and body. It has been widely used for war veterans, disaster victims as well as survivors of abuse.

If you have suffered from traumas, consider embracing yourself as a survivor instead of a victim. The more you are invested in building your resource, you will find yourself resilient. The following are what is deemed important in trauma recovery.

• Sense of safety
  This is the basic premise for all trauma work. It explains why babies like to be cuddled. Survivors need to wrap themselves with a “security blanket” when they are going through ransition from a traumatic state to balance.
• Self-soothing
  Do you talk to yourself gently and kindly? Do you know how to de-stress yourself in the moment of frenzy? Since traumas often throw people off to a state of hyper vigilance, resulting it is essential for survivors to learn ways of self-soothing, to regulate the deregulated mind.
• Containing as opposed to denying their emotions
  Hold your emotions with respect. This refers to the balancing act of examining your difficulties with ease. You hold the key to entries and exits of your emotions.
• Observe how your body manifests your emotions
  E.g. do you have consistent frowns? Where in your stomach do you feel the knots? What area feels the tenderest? Where in your body do you feel the most spacious? Watch the range of constriction and expansion in your body and experience how to regulate it.
• Recognize the beliefs that you may have developed from the traumas
  Do you blame yourself for causing the injury done on you? Do you feel responsible for encouraging the harm?
• Find trust and support beyond your family of origin
  Stay connected with the people who are supportive of you. They are your cheerleaders who will always stand by you.
• Complete the incomplete action
  Oftentimes we are “frozen in time” with trauma. What you would like to see happen did not turn out. Energy can be invested in corrective action to make it right this time, in the here and now. You can implement the correction action in a creative and symbolic manner.