How Our Bodies Protect Us When We Experience Trauma
By a somatic trauma therapist in Denver, Colorado
If you’ve experienced intense moments of stress or trauma you probably noticed that your body reacted pretty strongly. Some people feel sensations much like panic attacks- high anxiety, hyperventilating or trouble breathing regularly, muscle tension, your heart racing, or a general feeling of being “amped up.”
Others go almost the opposite direction in the middle of intense stress: they feel shut down, numb, frozen, or even like they’ve blacked out, struggling to remember what happened later even though they were talking and moving. Perhaps you’ve experienced both at different times. We’re going to break down what all this means and how your body may have actually been protecting you by responding in these ways during intense stress.
The Autonomic Nervous System & Polyvagal Theory
Ok, this part is a bit academic and about the nervous system. But the nervous system is incredibly important when it comes to understanding trauma and stress! So let’s break it down briefly. The nervous system is, of course, led by our MVP organ, the brain. There’s the Autonomic side of the nervous system, meaning it does what it does without us consciously telling it to; and the Somatic Side, meaning the functions we control (like movement).
We’re going to focus on the Autonomic Nervous System. One piece of this system is called the sympathetic response. This is when your nervous system responds to stress by gearing up into “Fight or Flight.” Then there’s the parasympathetic response, which is a calming response. We often call it “Rest and Digest.”
Polyvagal Theory
But in the last several years, many researchers have developed a new understanding of the parasympathetic nervous system, called Polyvagal Theory. The “vagal” part refers to the Vagus Nerve, a really large and important nerve in our bodies. Sort of like the aorta of nerves, if you will. The Vagus Nerve affects how the parasympathetic nervous system works.
When it’s working properly (called the Ventral Vagal), it’s kind of like a dimmer light switch. It can adjust our calming response in a pretty nuanced way, depending on what we need. But other times, the more primitive part of the Vagus Nerve kicks in (called the Dorsal Vagal), making the switch just a regular light switch. It turns our responses all the way off as opposed to the more nuanced approach.
The Polyvagal Ladder
So… what does this all mean for your body under stress? Well, there’s a handy chart called the Polyvagal Ladder that helps make Polyvagal Theory easy to understand.
Here you can see the 3 parts of the autonomic nervous system: the Ventral Vagal (the dimmer switch), the Sympathetic, and the Dorsal Vagal (the on/off switch).
All of us move in and out of these nervous system states. We are supposed to have all of these states accessible to us- that is totally good and normal! Where this can start to help you by realizing what your body feels like in each of these states, which can then help you figure out where you are on the ladder at any given time.
Freeze/Immobile State
The Freeze/Immobile state feels….frozen. Numb, dissociated, depressed, shut down, withdrawn. This means our body essentially views the stressor we’re experiencing as a life-threatening situation that we can’t fight back against. So instead….we play dead. Take a moment to notice how your Freeze/Immobile response has felt for you in the past. Can you think of what the stressor was?
Sometimes, these stressors feel so scary or overwhelming that we just completely shut down. You may have experienced trauma that you now struggle to remember. That’s okay. Chances are, your body knew you needed to go into a frozen state during that time, which then resulted in dissociation. While it can be frustrating to not know what happened, your brain knew it would be too much and shut you off from it in order to keep you safe. This response, while sometimes frustrating or unsettling, is also really adaptive!
Fight/Flight State
Next is the Fight/Flight state. This state makes us feel amped up – anxious, angry, and ready to fight or literally run. You may notice a faster heart rate and tension through your limbs. This is because your body is increasing the blood flow to those areas. You might also experience something like tunnel vision.
After all, your body thinks you don’t need to focus on anything except the threat right in front of you. Think about times you’ve noticed yourself going into Fight/Flight. These threats can still feel really scary to our bodies. The difference between this response and the Freeze/Immobile response is our body’s intuition to fight and defend ourselves.
Safe/Social State
Then at the top, there is the Safe/Social state. This is basically the calm state. In the Safe/Social state, we’re able to stay grounded and curious about what can come next, and we feel ready to handle it. In this state, we’re able to more easily connect with others and have positive interactions.
This is often the state we truly need to be in if we’re to solve modern problems or deal with stress effectively. But it’s not usually the state we naturally go to in times of stress. First, we typically have to heal the underlying trauma that causes us to land in the above states and gain enough nervous system regulation and comfort to respond differently today.
Moving Up and Down the Ladder Intentionally
When it comes to these states, there’s no right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. If you notice that your body tends to throw itself into Fight/Flight or Freeze/Immobile pretty often, that is likely because you have had experiences that forced your body to go there as a way to protect you. Remember, your body is on your team and is so intuitive. Your body’s primary goal is always to keep you alive.
Sometimes the reactions our bodies have don’t actually feel that effective at the moment which can be so frustrating. But it’s important to approach our bodies with compassion and gratitude for all that they do and have done for us over the years. Through this process, we’re able to gradually have more control over our own Polyvagal Ladder and will be able to respond to stressful situations the way we want to.
Once you’re more aware of what each rung on the ladder feels like in your body, you can start to determine where you actually want to be on the ladder and help your body get there. Our goal is usually to get back to Safe/Social. I like to use this simple reminder to help us navigate the ladder at the moment.
If you’re Frozen, you need to heat up. And if you’re heated with Fight/Flight, you need to cool down.
The below techniques are pretty simple, but help shows your brain that you’re actually safe, and therefore can go back to Safe/Social in order to address the problem at hand.
Tips to Heat Up
If you’re closer to Freeze/Immobile, literally warming up your body can help. Try using a heating pad or drinking something hot. Move your body around. Shake it out. Dance it out. You can also try a technique called Dynamic Breathing, or as many therapists call it, Chicken Breathing! More on how to do that is here.
You can also stimulate your 5 senses. Try eating something spicy, listening to upbeat/fast music, or smelling essential oils or candles with more intense scents (like eucalyptus, tea tree, or cinnamon). The basic goal here is to help your body move out of the Frozen state, and back toward Safe/Social.
Tips to Cool Down
If you’re in Fight/Flight, we want to cool down. Just like with Freeze/Immobile, literally changing your body temperature can help. Hold an ice pack on your forehead for a few minutes, splash your face with cold water, or maybe soak your feet in cold water. A great breathing exercise to help you slow down is called Diaphragmatic Breathing, More on that plus a few other great tips here.
Imagine a Clock to Help Cool Off
Similar to the peripheral eye movements discussed in the video, one way to help your body cool off from Fight/Flight is what I call Moving around the Clock. Picture an analog clock in front of you (or find one!) Now, we’re going to move our eyes to different numbers on the clock without moving our heads. You can take one or two fingers and move them with your eyes if you’re just imagining a clock.
Start by going to 1:00, then back to the center. Then 3:00, back to the center. Then 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00. You can do this a few times in a row if needed. Remember how I mentioned that Fight/Flight can come with tunnel vision? By moving your eyes in a way that goes against tunnel vision, you’re actually telling your brain that you’re safe.
Try Going Back to Safe/Social With Trauma Therapy!
I hope these tips can help you start to recognize your nervous system’s patterns more effectively so that you can help your body get back to Safe/Social when you need to. For more detailed or individually tailored coping skills, ask your therapist! Many therapists, especially those who do trauma therapy, have all kinds of helpful nervous system skills to share.
And if you’re looking for trauma therapy in the Denver area, reach out to us today for a free consult with a therapist on our team!
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