Summary

Trauma is learned helplessness and is stored in the primitive, emotional, nonverbal parts of the brain. Thus, trauma is hard to address and has a physical basis, introducing biochemical imbalances such as chronically elevating stress hormones. Our past experiences such as family upbringing shapes our attachment style and perceptions. To address trauma, focus on feeling and integrating the experience rather than desensitizing to it. EMDR, yoga, neurofeedback, rhythm, and cooperation are all tools to help with trauma.

Key Takeaways

• Trauma has a physical basis, mentally stored in the nonverbal
• Past experiences shape how we view absolutely everything
• Attachment theory and the importance of a strong nuclear family
• Rhythm and cooperation is one of trauma’s greatest remedies
• Learn how to touch
• Integration over desensitization

Notes

1: The rediscovery of trauma

1: Lessons from Vietnam Veterans

• PTSD has a physical basis
• Lost mental flexibility of imagination

2: Understanding mind and brain

• Traumatized People keep secreting stress hormones long after danger has passed
• But cortisol is low (signals end)
• Compulsion to repeat: trauma victims seem to get pleasure from fear and perversion
• Strong emotion can dull pain
• Higher serotonin: more relaxed, less worrying about fear or risk
• Antidepressants also a curse: 10% of US is on them

3: The neuroscience revolution

• Trauma triggers amygdala, preparing for fight or flight
• Similar to physical lesions like strokes
• Right brain left brain disconnect
• Stress hormone stays elevated as body keeps the score
• Biochemical imbalance when reliving past trauma

2: The brain on trauma

4: The anatomy of survival

• Old brain shuts down new brain, executive function
• Helplessness is biggest factor in trauma has brain keeps secreting chemicals
• Mirror neurons: brain mirroring other people
  • Empathy, imitation, language
• Trauma: losing time awareness - feels not in the past but in the present
• Depersonalization: numbness to the pain or trauma

5: Body-brain connections

• “Most of our energy is devoted to connecting with others”
• Fear mechanisms: Social help to fight or flight to shutting down using as little energy as possible
• Value of movement + rhythm

6: Losing your body, losing your self

• By shutting down as protective measure against trauma and helplessness, sense of self, purpose is lost (center line of brain)
• Alexithymia: inability to describe emotions, both own and others

3: The minds of children

7: Attachment and attunement

• Attachment theory:
• “Imitation is our most fundamental social skill”
• Mother, partner’s attachment style and reaction to fear rubs off (6-11x)
• Quality of early caregiving is important

8: Abuse and neglect

• Trauma can result in auto immune disorders
• Hate is directed against self in form of depression

9: What’s love got to do with it?

• DSM diagnoses can feel like labels
• More than 1/4 likely physically abused as children
• Ace score: 0-10 how traumatizing your childhood was
• Child abuse’s costs exceed cancer and heart disease
• ↑ reduce depression by 1/2, alcoholism by 2/3, suicide + domestic violence by 3/4

10: Developmental trauma

• Epigenetic: changes in gene expression due to how we’re raised as children
• Developmental trauma disorder: not in DSM 5

4: The imprint of trauma

11: The problem of traumatic memory

• Remember, insults and injuries best
• Traumatic memories are frozen, not malleable like the rest of memory

12: The heaviness of remembering

• Shell shock: PTSD
• Memory loss and delayed recall of trauma
• The mind can’t help but make meaning of what it knows so telling a story changes it
• Traumatic memories are sporadic, disorganized, include vivid sensory experiences

5: Healing from trauma

13: Owning yourself

• Feel what you feel:
  • Become calm and focused
  • Maintain calm in response to triggers
  • Be alive in present w. those around you
  • Don’t keep secrets with yourself
• Yoga and breathing are scientifically proven to help with stress and trauma
• Rhythm, being centered in the present
• Choosing the right therapist
• Integration is better than desensitization

14: Language

• Two selves:
  • Autobiographical self: language
  • Moment-to-moment self: sensory
• ↑ little communication between the two
• Writing about trauma helps

15: EMDR

• EMDR helps integrate trauma
• Can be better than antidepressants
• Related to REM sleep (eye movements)
• Breathing / HRV:
  • Inhale: SNS, ↑ heart rate
  • Exhale: PNS, ↓ heart rate

16: Yoga

• Yoga has wholistic benefits
• Physically being open, safe
• Notice your physical sensations

17: Self-leadership

• Everybody has sub-personalities
• Parts protect parts of identities want to hide

18: Creating structures

• Taking on roles to talk it through
• Therapist must mirror and witness

19: Neurofeedback

• Dreaming speeds up brain frequencies
• Theta waves: 5-8 hz, trance, novel connections (creativity)
• Alpha waves: 8-12 hz, peace, calm
• Beta waves: 13-20 hz, focused on outside world
• 20+ hz: alertness, threats
• Neurofeedback is a better, more permanent solution for ADHD, addiction

20: Communal rhythms and theater

• Theater and communal rhythm
• Mirroring and freedom of being judged