PTSD Memories: The Body Always Remembers

Most of us have had feelings of nostalgia once in a while. We might see yellow school buses go by and think of our children long ago getting on the bus for the first time. Maybe it is when the weather changes, we remember our college days or hear an old song that reminds of times past. Sometimes we can’t remember exactly in detail the event, but our body and brain reminds us of that particular time in our lives.

When people experience a trauma, the body and brain also remember. People recovering from traumas can witness in themselves very intense feelings or ”memories” of the situation that occurred (Fisher, 2013). This onset is often triggered by any sensory experience: sight, smell, auditory, and so on.

What outsiders may not realize is that these emotions can be very scary and overwhelming. Everyone has heard that saying ”it is like riding a bike ’ you will remember what to do”. Well’this is the way the body is reminding the survivor — but it is the type of muscle memory one must learn to cope successfully with.

 

Some examples of experiences are: feelings of panic, apprehension, shame, depression, numbness, sense of abandonment, impulses to run or leave, self mutilation, shakiness, rapid heartbeat, and suicidal ideations. All of these reactions or feelings is the body’s way of remembering what happened. Very often, clients will say to me ’ ”I don’t really remember all the details”, ”there are lapses in my memory from growing up”. Yet, the body is recalling ’ communicating in feelings and behaviors.

Having this cognitive understanding, allows clients to begin strengthening their ability to tolerate this hyper or hypo arousal state that is so very uncomfortable (Fisher, 2013). They can then remind themselves they are in the present day. This helps build new muscle memory that the feelings – aka- the memories, can be tolerated with new coping skills. The goal is to change the default setting — to tolerance ’and hopefulness.

(Fisher, 2013)

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy does reduce stress, anxiety and depressive features! 2 tips to help you TODAY

Do you often feel STRESSED at work or at home?

Do you or someone you know suffer from DEPRESSION and/or ANXIETY? Do you often feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by intense emotions?

Do these feelings leave you with negative thoughts that may NOT even be accurate?

Learn two strategies to help you cope with these symptoms through Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy!

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT):

  • Helps people disengage from unproductive thought patterns and remain unengaged. Helps stop the downward spiral.
  • Helps people live in this moment, rather than worrying about the past or future; leading to more fulfilling lives and less suffering.

I use this MBCT technique with women struggling with depression and anxiety, especially Postpartum Depression, and Social Anxiety/Panic Attacks.

Learn more about MBCT from my interview below with Meredith McEver, LCSW of Arlington Virginia, a seasoned MBCT individual and group leader:

(Meredith G, LCSW): I work with many women who struggle with depression, anxiety and mood swings. Some have been suffering with these symptoms their whole life. Other women have experienced a trauma either small or large — that have left them in despair.

In therapy, I use a number of approaches to assist clients in easing and reducing these plaguing symptoms. I have incorporated mindfulness based cognitive therapy and have found that it really helps many of my patients.

Tell me more about this approach and how you use it in your individual and group work. For starters – – who is most appropriate to benefit from this type of intervention?

(Meredith McEver, LCSW) – Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT helps people struggling with a wide range of issues. It was originally developed for people with recurrent depression, but has been used with people with other concerns such as generalized anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and health anxiety. I even use it when I work with organizations to prevent burnout.

The research shows that MBCT helps people suffering from depression to recover. It’s considered to be the”gold standard” in the treatment of depression. Some people have more than one episode of depression. For the subset of people with 3 or more episodes of depression, MBCT has been shown to be 40-50 % more effective than individual CBT in preventing depression relapse. For those who recovered using antidepressants as part of their treatment, MBCT was found to be as effective, if not more effective, than continued antidepressants use in preventing depression relapse.

Its effectiveness has also been shown in increasing emotional regulation and psychosocial functioning for people with Bipolar Disorder and decreasing anxiety for anxious individuals. It has been incorporated in a program to prevent substance abuse relapse, which has been shown to be more effective in preventing relapse than treatment as usual.

Meredith G — Wow, I did not know MBCT was so effective and that it really helps in preventing relapse — which is one of the biggest fears among clients. Can you describe 2 techniques that you have found most helpful with those who have been in your groups or techniques that people can use as needed to ease work related stress that you spoke about.

(Meredith McEver, LCSW)

Taking a “BREATHING SPACE” has been very helpful to many of my clients. To do so, you

  • Bring your attention to the present moment;
  • Notice any body sensations that are present, doing your best not to comment on the body sensation or try to change it, just notice it;
  • Refocus your attention to your body and notice any emotions. Most people feel their emotions in their belly, chest, throat, corner of the mouth, eyes, or all over. Not trying to create emotions or push them away, just notice them with acceptance;
  • Refocus you attention to your thoughts. Sometimes when you focus on your thoughts, they go away, so noticing the lack of thoughts until a thought arises and then noticing that;
  • Refocus your attention to your breath for a few breaths. Then notice your facial expression, posture and your whole body.

It’s very simple and takes just a few minutes. Strange as it may seem, noticing and accepting your body sensations, emotions and thoughts just as they are and not trying to change them can lead to relaxation. Spending time denying that we’re in a bad mood is draining and prevents us from taking the action needed to feel better. This moment of noticing what’s going on gives you the space to calm down a little and allows your inner wisdom to emerge so you know what action to take rather than reacting reflexively.

A last technique is learning that ”Thoughts are NOT facts”has also been very helpful. And while everyone intellectually knows that thoughts aren’t facts, we sometimes react as though our thoughts are true. For example, a friend doesn’t respond to an email and we think that they’re mad at us.

  • Thinking it is one thing, but automatically believing it can lead us to feel depressed or angry and behave in a way different than we would if we believed that the email got lost.
  • Experiment with it yourself and notice what some of your automatic thoughts are and what emotions they lead to.

So we teach people in MBCT how to be mindful of thoughts, which is being aware of thoughts when they occur without judging the thought or yourself. This moment of mindfulness, being aware of what is happening in this moment without judgment, gives us an opportunity to decide how to respond to the thought rather than jumping to our conditioned, automatic response. You have an opportunity to realize that there are a myriad of reasons why that person didn’t respond to your email and you really don’t know what their reason is.

Squashing the Worry Bug

Do you have a child that worries? Does the anxiety get in the way of having fun, participating in activities, with friendships? Does your child have the following traits?

  • DemonstrateS excessive distress with crying, physical symptoms, sadness, anger etc.
  • Easily agitated or angry in stressful situations accompanied by stomach aches or headaches.
  • Needs repetitive reassurance to ”what if” concerns

These are just a few symptoms of children who worry excessively. There are few ways to combat anxiety and, at the same time, give your child the confidence to manage it. Tamar Chansky, PhD, author of ”Freeing your Child from Anxiety” has identified 5 steps in creating this management plan.

Empathize with your child what you are feeling:

  • Acknowledge what is going on with her. Don’t tell her not to worry, but reflect her feelings by saying: ”this seems so hard, so unfair”, ”this is making you so upset”…
  • Relabel the problem ’ give it a name.
  • This allows the child to determine what thoughts are from her worry voice and what she really THINKS.
  • Give it a name like ”worry bug”, make a puppet to remind her, or even draw pictures of it.

Rewire and Resist

  • Help her find the truth and not let the powerful feelings get in the way
  • Teach her to say things like ”my parents would never let me be in danger — I am not listening to you worry bug!”

Get the body on board

  • Slow the body down by counting, deep breaths, thinking of something that makes her happy and calm.
  • Remind your child that anxiety always passes

Refocus on what you want to do

  • Ask your child what she would be doing if she was not worrying? Then get into the activity ’ or something like it — the brain will follow but not the worry bug!

Reinforce your child’s efforts at fighting her worries!

  • Reward any behavior that demonstrates any coping, effort at beating this worry bug!
  • Change the reward after a partial goal is met

You can use these steps with children and adults at all ages, just adapt to their age and maturity level. Chansky and others believe that it takes about 2-3 weeks for a new behavior to really be established, so practice and reward consistently! For more information regarding anxiety in adolescent girls and women visit the blog section of my website at www.mgelman.com