Have you ever overheard something on the news and suddenly you notice changes in your body? Have you ever noticed the sensations you have in your body when you run into an old friend?
Your body is an amazing, complex machine, with an unbelievable ability to store information at the cellular level. Every single feeling, situation, emotion, disappointment and thrill is stored somewhere in your body. It never forgets. As you can imagine, that is both good and bad. Of course we want to remember all the good times, the good stories, the good memories, we love re-living them. But when it comes to the harsher side of life, we would all prefer to sweep them under the rug and forget about them.
The very act of sweeping the old harsh times in life under the rug and forgetting about them is creating havoc in our lives. During times of upset or trauma, we tell ourselves subconscious stories that not only keep us safe, they keep us from completely dealing with what we have experienced. Yes, time takes away the pain, and eventually life gets back to a new normal, and we forget. But do we? Does our body forget? No, it doesn't.
This morning I read a post on facebook that sent me back to my childhood. Without going into a lot of detail, the situation was related to a business my family was very involved in. When I read the news, I felt my body shift. I could feel everything happening in my body, I could see my parents jumping into action, I could feel the worry, I could feel the fear, I could feel the compassion they had for those in harms way. All I was going through was a memory, and yet my body acted as if it were reliving it. Thankfully this was a somewhat good memory for me, and in the end everyone in the real situation were safe.
The flip side to this is that our body remembers tragedy and trauma the same way. Our body doesn't know if we are remembering the trauma, or actually experiencing it. It acts the same way. Tight chest, increased blood pressure,Increased heart rate, increased senses, automatic fight or flight mode, body sweating, brain waves increased, a sensation of being on full alert. Feeling the pain of what you experienced. The memory is literally killing you inside.
So many people go through this on a daily basis, due to life traumas, or some due to the jobs they choose, specifically First Responders. In today's society we are just starting to peel back the band-aide of stigma surrounding talking about mental health challenges. It's hard to know who to talk to, or where to turn for help. Don't let the stigma stop you from seeking help, your life may depend on it, and that is more important that what someone may say behind your back, or how they may treat you. What is important is how you treat you. We have only hit the tip of the iceberg in how we can help people heal from the mental anguish of trauma. There are not enough resources to help those in pain, many are falling through the cracks. The powers that be, refuse to look at alternative ways of healing, which ends up cutting the resources in half.
With some effort and support, we can change the stories we hold in our bodies, we can calm the affects they have on our daily life. Yes, it takes work, no pill, or bottle is going to change the story, self medicating is costly in so many ways. It's up to you, and the support you seek. I have seen this change happen in clients. I have heard their new stories, and experienced first hand how happy they are that they have found relief. The work and the effort you put into changing your inner stories will change your life. If you haven't been told lately, you are worth the effort. Seek help in changing your stories, today. I offer a "No Talk Therapy" that assists in changing your story, without necessarily having to say a word. Let's talk.
