When Trauma Get’s Trapped in the Body
It stores on a cellular level.
Research suggests that maternal and paternal stress can impact the development of their offspring. For example, if a person is pregnant and is consistently exposed to threats or crises, adrenal and cortisol levels (in addition to many other elements) will impact the neurodevelopment of their child. This brings a new perspective to the table when discussing intergenerational trauma.
Stress also impacts our brain chemistry which ultimately impacts the rest of our body when it comes to neurotransmitters, gene expression, hormone levels, and so on.
Psychological stress has been found to store in the muscle memory of the body even if we aren’t able to consciously recall the event itself. When an injury occurs, those memories are stored in the body. An example of this can be experiencing continued ‘tenderness’ in the location of a past injury well after the event has taken place or ‘healed’. This is often where we start to move our bodies differently because the injury has created a habitual pain avoidance pattern.
It disrupts your nervous system
Our nervous system shifts from a parasympathetic (calm) state to a sympathetic (stressed) one. Meaning that we become hyperaware of our environment in order to avoid potential threats (even if there isn’t one). This is typically what people are talking about when they are discussing trauma response symptoms such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
We develop sensory processing issues. Trauma greatly affects sensory integration, drastically altering our responses to sensory experience. For example, they have emotional reactions they did not have prior to trauma to certain sensory experiences of hearing, seeing, smelling, or touching things.
When our nervous system is dysregulated, it’s also common to see different forms and variations of dissociation. Dissociation is the mind’s way of protecting itself by detaching from the self, the body, or the environment around us.
It can manifest as physical pain or chronic illness
Temporary somatic responses can occur which can sometimes mislead people into thinking they’re a ‘hypochondriac’. For example, if you're engaged to someone you resent and you’re wearing an engagement ring on your finger, you may feel the ring on your finger getting tighter or notice tightness in your chest but as soon as you take it off your hand feels fine +/- the tightness in your chest instantly goes away.
Chronic pain can develop as a result of trauma. For example, someone can experience chronic pain during sex after having been sexually assaulted even if sex prior to the assault felt fine.
Chronic illness can also occur for a variety of complex reasons. For example, someone can develop breathing or respiratory issues if they have had multiple near-death experiences where their airway was obstructed.
The more complex your personal history, the more complex your medical history. Hence, the ‘chicken or the egg’ scenario. Is your pain coming from past adversity +/- trauma OR is there an underlying medical condition that’s impacting your mood?
How to Release Trauma from the Body
Keep a log of your aches, pain, and illnesses
When did they start?
What was going on for you personally during that time?
Have you been given medical diagnoses for your physical complaints?
If so, did your symptoms start before, during, or after experiencing personal turmoil +/- distress?
Have you been able to resolve your physical symptoms through professional medical recommendations and treatment?
Address the emotional components
(We can’t skip this part)
Rest and set goals. Balance is key here and BOTH are needed. Think of it as a gas and brake pedal. We need to know when to speed up and go and when to slow down and take a break. Too much or too little of one vs. the other isn’t good for you or those around you.
Seek support from a trained professional with an EMPHASIS on trauma-focused care. Just because someone has credentials or a license does NOT mean they have specialized training in treating complex trauma. This includes both therapists and medical doctors. Find yourself a mental health therapist specializing in trauma treatment to help you address the trauma stored in the body.
Regulate your nervous system. Again, seeking a mental health professional who has advanced training will help you address your dysregulated nervous system from an emotional and psychological perspective. For example, EMDR is highly effective in regulating the nervous system and getting things “unstuck”. Combining meditation with yoga is another great example of addressing your emotional and physical wellness. However, you need to find strategies to address BOTH the mind and the body. Not just one or the other!
Address your physical needs
We never want to rule out underlying medical causes or leave them unattended. If your body is trying to tell you something, LISTEN! As stated previously, find a medical professional that you trust with the skill set you think best suits your needs. It’s important that you advocate for your medical health. That way, if you feel like you’re not being listened to by your doctor (or you simply don’t appreciate their ‘bedside manner’) switch to someone else!
Hydrate and eat the food your body is asking for. If you’re not eating the food your body is asking for, your body will tell you through pain, discomfort, and disease. We need the proper vitamins and nutrients in order to support our brain health (and so many other things). Nutritional deprivation sends a ‘survival mode’ signal to your brain. If your brain thinks you’re in crisis mode, it armors up even more which makes treating trauma even more difficult to treat.
Sleep when you’re able. It’s common for those struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, or stress in general to have issues with their sleeping patterns. This can be for a majority of different reasons. Ultimately, having a regular sleep schedule would be the goal. But until you’re able to get on track with the support you need, just allow yourself to sleep when you can. Adequate sleep is what helps us regulate overall.
Special Notes
For some, these strategies may either significantly reduce or completely clear the pain IF the origination of symptoms is psychologically rooted. Trauma is very unlikely to clear from the mind and body if you do not address both your emotions AND your nervous system.
Even if the root cause of symptoms is psychological, you should still work with a medical specialist to address your specific medical needs. For example, if someone has painful sex during intercourse and the pain started after a sexual assault, you would want to seek out BOTH a mental health provider who specializes in trauma +/- sexual assault AND a medical professional such as a pelvic floor physical therapist to treat all of your symptoms.
Not every therapist specializes in trauma-focused care and not all medical professionals are trauma-informed. It is important to do your research and seek out the services that are the most suitable for your individual needs so you’re not accidentally adding more insult to injury. Although trauma-informed professionals are ideal, sometimes they can be difficult to come by. If you notice yourself running into this issue, make sure you are expressing your needs so they can be addressed adequately.
