Blog Post 76: Trauma Stored in the Body
As we have discussed recently on our blog, many people with Type C traits experienced traumatic or invalidating events in childhood. In Bessel Van der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps the Score, he states that people who have experienced trauma “often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.” In such situations, the fight or flight response occurs in our bodies. We may experience high levels of adrenaline, restlessness, heart racing, nausea, or lightheadedness.
Van der Kolk’s insight absolutely applies to Type C people - we may have learned at an early age to ignore the emotional or physical sensations happening in our bodies as a strategy to manage a traumatic or invalidating environment. Later in life, we may engage in Type C patterns such as constantly doing for others and never saying no - and ignore important messages of pain, tension, and physical discomfort that our bodies send us. We may also dismiss these sensations if we believe that our own internal experiences and suffering are not important, not deserving of attention.
Situations that remind us of these past negative events can trigger a whole host of emotional and physical sensations. Our brains may go into survival mode, trying to keep us safe. If we have a thought that is similar to a feeling we had when we experienced the past trauma, the reaction in both our thoughts and bodies is often heightened. When this happens, cortisol levels in the body rise - which over time, can lead to a host of issues: feeling easily overwhelmed, irritability, brain fog, memory issues, insomnia, muscle tension, weakened immune system and digestion issues. High cortisol levels can also exacerbate chronic pain.
In my experience (Anna), the trauma of child abuse at our elementary school absolutely left an impact. This was the 1970s, and corporal punishment was widely accepted. We witnessed some truly terrifying incidents: a wild-eyed, violent art teacher beating a troubled child, a second-grade teacher paddled children daily. I was one of the subjects of the latter’s torture - but I think witnessing the abuse was even worse. These episodes left me hyper-vigilant and extremely deferential to authority figures. On a physical level, elevated cortisol levels over time have contributed to my fatigue and sleep issues.
If we believe that trauma is stored in our bodies, what can we do about it? The most important thing is to acknowledge the signals our bodies are giving us, and to become aware of the cost of ignoring them. When we see the costs of continuing to reject the connection between trauma and our problems, it can be easier to sit with the anxiety that shows up when trying to slow down and listen to our bodies. If this is something you almost never do, you may experience a lot of emotions when you turn your attention inward. Here are some further steps to try:
Develop regular meditation and exercise routines to help lower cortisol levels
Engage with a therapist specializing in trauma
Consider Chinese medicine techniques - acupuncture can help to calm the brain/nervous system and revitalize qi (life force)
Limit caffeine, which can increase cortisol levels
Identifying the connection between our past traumas and our present Type C traits is never easy, but when we can name that connection and work to de-fang it, we can take the first steps to better health.