SHOCK TRAUMA

Trauma refers to any event or series of events that was too unexpected, too fast, or too overwhelming for the nervous system to process adequately at the time. As a result, the nervous system becomes overwhelmed and dysregulated. 


Trauma stifles the natural unfolding of our being. It suppresses all attempts to move forward in life and disconnects us from ourselves, from nature, and from our soul.

 

Physical and Psychological Symptoms:

 

  • anxiety, panic, palpitations, shallow breathing, excessive alertness or irritability, restlessness, insomnia, nightmares.

  • depression, exhaustion, feelings of helplessness or powerlessness, loss of muscle strength.

  • dissociation, feeling that (a part of) your body does not belong to you, a limited range of emotions. 

  • denial: believing the trauma did not happen or that it is not important

Source: Brochure from Somatic Experiencing Netherlands, 2007

 

 

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

 

One of the least understood forms of trauma is ‘trauma from unmet basic needs.’

 

When a child’s natural basic needs are not met, the body instinctively perceives this as life-threatening and overwhelming. The accompanying emotional ‘pain’ is numbed through dissociation—a survival mechanism that disconnects the child from their emotions and bodily sensations.

 

As a result, the child begins to live defensively rather than spontaneously and exploratively. They develop social survival strategies to adapt. Later in life, these adaptations manifest in various ways, particularly in relationships.

 

Ninety percent of brain growth occurs within the first five years of life. During this period, development happens at an accelerated rate. Genes provide the basic wiring, but development occurs in relation to the environment. If the environment is safe, the brain develops differently than if the environment is unsafe. A child perceives safety or danger, and their nervous system adapts accordingly. While genes act as a blueprint, it is the environment that shapes how the brain grows.

 

Chronic problems and chronic pain are often rooted in trauma. They are always, in part, linked to nervous system dysregulation. The event itself may be long over, but the body’s reaction remains—for example, in an overactive startle reflex, which leaves long-term imprints known as ‘trauma traces.’

 

Trauma disorients us, often leading to unconscious feelings of insecurity and powerlessness. Individuals with disoriented, insecure attachment experience this especially strongly.

 

Orientation ability, like many other reflexes, is innate—it does not need to be learned but rather restored. By liberating innate impulses, we regain access to inner resources, creating a physical sense of safety and reducing the helplessness associated with the ‘dorsal state’ (a nervous system response linked to shutdown and freeze).

 

One form of trauma imprint is ‘functional freezing.’ This state can chronically impair normal functioning, leaving a person in a constant hibernation-like state. They may still function, but everything feels like an effort—life becomes an obligation. Unconsciously, they remain stuck in separation, helplessness, powerlessness, resignation, and fear. Panic becomes the default response to new situations. Mistrust in others, a belief of ‘I have to do it alone,’ submission, under-stimulation, numbness, and emotional listlessness are common symptoms.

 

Alternatively, some individuals experience the opposite reaction—being constantly ‘on,’ which means a continuous sense of hyper-alertness and restlessness in the body. You are easily startled with a compulsion to stay busy. You are disconnected from your own body and boundaries, resulting in irritability, bursts of anger, guilt, and blame. You get stuck in denial and self-sabotage as you are overwhelmed by toxic shame.

 

Your entire experience of the world—the lens through which you view life—is shaped by the beliefs of a dysregulated dorsal vagus nerve.