I think another key aspect is that if your trauma is due to being a victim of a crime, getting justice is important. If society fails you in that regard, the crime still needs acknowledgement, and that includes all of your feelings and thoughts about it.
I'm so glad to hear someone say this. Justice does matter. Receiving justice is like humanity saying, you matter. It's validating... and freeing. I'll never quite understand the person who watches injustice and remains silent. Could they really, as they claim, care for a person, if they leave them to suffer alone? Is it fear that keeps them glued to inaction? What then, when they mock the one person willing to stand up and fight?
Very well put ! I can resonate with every single word and have been practising these tools for quite sometime.
Just spending your days slowly, without pushing yourself to do more than your body allows you to, is the best way to start healing your nervous system.
Habits as simple as drinking a tall glass of water, or brushing your teeth, or even combing your hair gently, can be done slowly and really make you understand the impact living slowly has on your nervous system.
Learning to spend my days slowly has been so healing for me, and I totally agree, slowing down on the small things we do every day can have such a big impact!
There are also great programs that help rewire the nervous system. I’ve had experiences with a few including Polyvagal theory, Annie Hopper, Sound therapy to name a few.
Great article. I second meditation, I’ve just started practicing it regularly and it helps. I’ve also started getting acupuncture and it’s made a huge difference in my feelings of calm. I know it’s expensive but if one can afford it, it’s worth looking into as well.
Thank you Kimberly! I too have been doing acupuncture in the last year and have found great benefits for me too. Whenever I leave a treatment I feel a profound sense of healing.
I’m reminded by this that although the methods covered here might be familiar to some, the personal account of how the drowning of your uncle filled your young mind with death and destruction was devastatingly personal and felt as horrific to me reading it as it must have been for people hearing about it at the time. No wonder you struggled to get over this. Thank you for being brave enough to share it. 🫂
Thank you Sarah, for your kind words. It was a very challenging time for my whole family, and definitely changed how I moved through the world for a very long time afterwards, and only as an adult did I learn how to start processing it.
You know, you were 11 years old. There was a collective responsibility for what happened that day that everyone failed at, including your uncle himself. Your premonition was probably a sense of uneasiness about a plan for your uncle to swim in the pool that your brain was recognising as an unsafe situation in some way, because asking a flighty youngster to watch an epileptic swim was unwise. If he was able to, he would probably feel guilty himself about the effect it has had on your life.
It’s really reassuring to see these important methods for calming a traumatised nervous system. Thank you for sharing and helping to raise awareness.
I also write about how my children and I are healing from complex trauma and include here a simple explanation of the nervous system using knowledge of the Polyvagal Theory. Sharing in case it helps anyone as knowledge presented simply from survivors with lived experience is so important. And understanding of the science is particularly important when you’re helping to heal a whole family’s complex trauma 💔❤️🩹❤️
Thank you for your kind words Piata! These are really important methods, I have attended several webinars from Stephen Porges, and his work has had such an impact on my life and healing. I really enjoyed your post!
Thank you! I have such a full toolbox of ways you can cope with PTSD and general anxiety disorder…I’m 70 and just don’t feel like I will ever be okay. So much better than I was 4 yrs ago.
equine therapy once a week and yoganidra! Helps immensely … thank you again.
I deleted my tired and frustrated comment for you—it obviously wasn’t thoughtful, necessary or healing— my apologies. Good luck and many blessings on your journey to wholeness and healing.
That’s wonderful for you Leon, and for them. Glad you can help people with sharing your vulnerability, pain, experiences and thoughtful information. Meeting people where they are if you can — is always helpful and healing. ❤️🩹
I think another key aspect is that if your trauma is due to being a victim of a crime, getting justice is important. If society fails you in that regard, the crime still needs acknowledgement, and that includes all of your feelings and thoughts about it.
I'm so glad to hear someone say this. Justice does matter. Receiving justice is like humanity saying, you matter. It's validating... and freeing. I'll never quite understand the person who watches injustice and remains silent. Could they really, as they claim, care for a person, if they leave them to suffer alone? Is it fear that keeps them glued to inaction? What then, when they mock the one person willing to stand up and fight?
I never understand that, either. It makes this life hard.
Agreed
Very well put ! I can resonate with every single word and have been practising these tools for quite sometime.
Just spending your days slowly, without pushing yourself to do more than your body allows you to, is the best way to start healing your nervous system.
Habits as simple as drinking a tall glass of water, or brushing your teeth, or even combing your hair gently, can be done slowly and really make you understand the impact living slowly has on your nervous system.
Thank you for your kind words Nabah!
Learning to spend my days slowly has been so healing for me, and I totally agree, slowing down on the small things we do every day can have such a big impact!
There are also great programs that help rewire the nervous system. I’ve had experiences with a few including Polyvagal theory, Annie Hopper, Sound therapy to name a few.
Great article. I second meditation, I’ve just started practicing it regularly and it helps. I’ve also started getting acupuncture and it’s made a huge difference in my feelings of calm. I know it’s expensive but if one can afford it, it’s worth looking into as well.
Thank you Kimberly! I too have been doing acupuncture in the last year and have found great benefits for me too. Whenever I leave a treatment I feel a profound sense of healing.
Solid guidance for all of us!
Beautiful and empowering message for all walks of life and every level of adversity. Great piece
I’m reminded by this that although the methods covered here might be familiar to some, the personal account of how the drowning of your uncle filled your young mind with death and destruction was devastatingly personal and felt as horrific to me reading it as it must have been for people hearing about it at the time. No wonder you struggled to get over this. Thank you for being brave enough to share it. 🫂
Thank you Sarah, for your kind words. It was a very challenging time for my whole family, and definitely changed how I moved through the world for a very long time afterwards, and only as an adult did I learn how to start processing it.
You know, you were 11 years old. There was a collective responsibility for what happened that day that everyone failed at, including your uncle himself. Your premonition was probably a sense of uneasiness about a plan for your uncle to swim in the pool that your brain was recognising as an unsafe situation in some way, because asking a flighty youngster to watch an epileptic swim was unwise. If he was able to, he would probably feel guilty himself about the effect it has had on your life.
Hello
It’s really reassuring to see these important methods for calming a traumatised nervous system. Thank you for sharing and helping to raise awareness.
I also write about how my children and I are healing from complex trauma and include here a simple explanation of the nervous system using knowledge of the Polyvagal Theory. Sharing in case it helps anyone as knowledge presented simply from survivors with lived experience is so important. And understanding of the science is particularly important when you’re helping to heal a whole family’s complex trauma 💔❤️🩹❤️
https://open.substack.com/pub/wholefamilyhealing/p/tuesday-trauma-healing-with-tate-639?r=34rl2l&utm_medium=ios
Thank you for your kind words Piata! These are really important methods, I have attended several webinars from Stephen Porges, and his work has had such an impact on my life and healing. I really enjoyed your post!
Thank you! I have such a full toolbox of ways you can cope with PTSD and general anxiety disorder…I’m 70 and just don’t feel like I will ever be okay. So much better than I was 4 yrs ago.
equine therapy once a week and yoganidra! Helps immensely … thank you again.
Thank you for this!! Super helpful. :)
Seems like many other people found it helpful. If it was too long for you, please feel free to stick to tweets or notes.
I deleted my tired and frustrated comment for you—it obviously wasn’t thoughtful, necessary or healing— my apologies. Good luck and many blessings on your journey to wholeness and healing.
That’s wonderful for you Leon, and for them. Glad you can help people with sharing your vulnerability, pain, experiences and thoughtful information. Meeting people where they are if you can — is always helpful and healing. ❤️🩹
Sounds like you’ve had a tough time yourself