MOST OF US KNOW THAT OUR BRAINS are responsible for storing memories. Not all of us are aware that our bodies at the cellular level hold tight to the physical sensations and emotions of our memories, especially those of a more painful nature.
JERRY'S STORY
It was fun for young Jerry to be in the little boat on the local pond with some boys from school that warm afternoon. The boys, including his older brother, had tried fishing for a while, but mostly they were just having fun goofing off.
When Jerry stood up, endeavoring to change positions, one of his friends playfully gave him a shove, which resulted in Jerry's tumbling into the water. Not knowing how to swim, he sank helplessly down into the dark, murky depths. He was terrified, sure he was going to die.
Suddenly, his brother's hand reached down and pulled him up, hauling him back into the boat, where he heard the fellows laughing. He tried to laugh, too, but had just been so traumatized that he could only slump quietly down in a corner, shivering in his wet, smelly clothes. Since no one seemed immediately concerned about him or bothered about the incident, he decided to avoid being laughed at more. He kept his feelings of fear and anger to himself.
Although he came down with a cold and fever shortly thereafter and for some time suffered from nightmares and bouts of anger, Jerry continued to suppress the episode in his mind, not wanting his family and friends to know how afraid he had really been. For some years to come, Jerry was puzzled to note that on rare occasions when he happened upon the sight and smell of any pond-like body of water, he would sometimes experience waves of anxious foreboding, headaches, and rapid heartbeat. He may have largely blocked out the conscious memory of his near drowning, but his body remembered.
TRIGGERS
"The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 241). Trauma impacts this close relationship of mind and body even when we are unaware that it does. Because we experience life through our senses-sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste-all the components of our experiences are imprinted into our cellular memory. This is why we sometimes may experience warmth and comfort in the taste of a particular flavor, maybe in just a bite of pumpkin pie, whether or not we consciously remember the enjoyable childhood family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Grandma's special recipes. Similarly, the adverse is also true: a car backfire could sound very much like a gunshot to an armed services veteran and trigger extreme fear and panic.
Years after a traumatic event, one can still experience physical symptoms of unexplained pains, mood swings, and symptoms of a suppressed immune system, as demonstrated by frequent colds and flus, especially prevalent near the calendar date of a previous overwhelming experience.
For several years after Jenny lost her baby to SIDS, just the approach of the anniversary date of that traumatic loss caused her to sink into deep sadness, lose her appetite, feel anxious and fearful, experience poor sleep, and suffer from headaches.
Childhood trauma, such as traumatic abuse and injury, can trigger emotional or psychological trauma. In his book The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, founder and medical director of the Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, tells of a study he was engaged in where a group of traumatized clinic children under treatment, ages 6 to 11, were shown ordinary pictures which had been cut out of magazines. He reports: "The responses of the clinic children were alarming. The most innocent images stirred up intense feelings of danger, aggression, sexual arousal, and terror. We had not selected these photos because they had some hidden meaning that sensitive people could uncover; they were ordinary images of everyday life. We could only conclude that for abused children, the whole world is filled with triggers."1
A person, such as Jerry, may have difficulty recalling the details or even the entire event of a particular traumatic experience but find themselves reacting to a trigger in a manner that makes no apparent sense. The brain can block out a traumatic memory as a defense mechanism, but the imprint is still left on the body. Unprocessed trauma can remain at the cellular level of the senses and has the potential to lead to emotional and physical symptoms for years, increasing risks for diabetes, heart attack, cancer, and stroke.
RECOVERY
Thankfully, this doesn't have to be your future or the future of someone you care about. Proper treatment and self-care can significantly lower the risk of post-traumatic physical and psychological health conditions.
Self-care strategies after a traumatic event should include:
1. RESIST ISOLATING YOURSELF
Reach out for support from friends, family, or a mental health professional, and share what you are experiencing. You will find emotional support and help to cope with the difficult feelings and symptoms that may arise.
2. GET BACK TO ROUTINE
A traumatic event can disrupt regular life. Getting back to a sense of what is normal as soon as possible can help you regain control.
3. FACE THE FEELINGS
A key to recovery is not trying to avoid the memories but to be OK with experiencing them. Acknowledging them will help you move forward.
4. BE AWARE OF ANNIVERSARIES
Realizing you will have difficulty coping around the anniversary of a significant event can help you prepare in advance and encourage a sense of control. Added support, whether from family and friends or a support group, will lessen the pain and sadness and assist over time in easing the memory.
5. BENEFIT FROM JOURNALING
Journaling allows you to express emotions that may be difficult to articulate in any other way. Feelings of anger, fear, sadness, and sorrow expressed in writing aid in emotional release and can help you organize your thoughts and make sense of a significant event, thus encouraging self-awareness and healing.
6. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF
Taking care of yourself is important when managing a post-traumatic incident. Create a self-care plan that includes activities that help you relax and reduce stress, such as exercising, eating simple and healthful meals, resting when needed, striving toward a regular sleep schedule, engaging in meditation, and doing something with friends you enjoy. This can help prevent flashbacks and encourage your overall sense of well-being.
7,. Get Outdoors
"Nature is God's physician. The pure air, the glad sunshine, the flowers and trees, the orchards and vineyards, and outdoor exercise amid these surroundings, are health-giving, life-giving" (Ministry of Healing, pp. 263, 264). Benefits include improved mental health and mood, decreased stress, improved thinking and reasoning, and improved ability to sleep at night.
8. Focus on Blessings
To help your mind focus more on the positive rather than on negative distressing memories, engage in thankfulness often. Gratitude expressed can reduce stress, enhance resilience, bring peace, and cause a ripple effect of joy.
Bad things will happen in this world until the Lord Jesus returns to earth to change everything for the better forever. However, He doesn't leave us alone in our times of distress and sorrow. He has promised to carry us through our valleys and bring us home at last.
1 Bessel van der Kolk, MD, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, ond Body in the Healing of Trauma (London: Penguin, 2015), p. 110.
RESOURCES:
https://www.scarymommy.com/lifestyle/ trauma-body-remembers
https:/ /theawarenesscentre.com/what-is-theanniversary-effect/
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/
trauma-body-when-anniversaries-arent-sohappy-0609164
https://www.ptsduk.org/what-is-ptsd/ understanding-ptsd-flashbacks-and-triggers/
https://www.charliehealth.com/post/howdoes-your-body-remember-trauma
https:/ /www.webmd.com/mental-health/ss/ slideshow-emotional-trauma-self-care
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https:/ /covingtonhospital.com/the-healthbenefits-of-getting-outside/
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mental-health-matters-the-power-ofgratitude-practice#:~:text=Enhances%20 Resilience%3A%20Gratitude%20can%20
help,to%20bounce%20back%20from%20 setbacks
