Since 2021 I have been studying the Biology of Trauma under Preventative Medicine Physician Dr. Aimie Apigian.
The work of understanding and applying The Biology of Trauma is complex, vast and holds great potential. Trauma refers not only to the big T traumas, but also to anything that has overwhelmed the nervous system. Everyone has very likely experienced some trauma in their life.
I am drawn to this work because of my own experience. Not only have a worked with many people as a Naturopath and Coach, and touched into people’s childhood experiences during NET sessions, I also have my own history, body, mind and felt experience of life. I know first hand how difficult, frustrating and circular it can be to try to find relief for one’s personal struggles. In a sea of professionals, experts and information overload (overwhelm), where does one start? Treat body pain with this therapist, treat anxiety with this professional? Do it myself? Attend a course, program, read a book, join a group? Which one to choose? From where I stand right now, I believe
the key lies in the path that is going to lead you to getting to know and be yourself more deeply.
This work provides a lens to understand trauma and it’s impact on the nervous system, why and how it occurs, and flow on effects to health. Common biochemical imbalances can predispose a person to experiencing trauma and trauma can lead to biochemical imbalances. Attachment trauma can lead to an insecure attachment and have lifelong effects on how a person feels in their self, experiencing more distress in their body, life and relationships. They feel more insecure. For a person with attachment trauma, they have a felt sense of something like:
· The world is generally an unsafe place
· I cannot trust others to have my back and take care of me
· It is not safe to share the real me to the world [1]
In utero and during childhood when the nervous system is developing (neurodevelopment), the nervous system is adapting to its environment. If the environment was overwhelming in some way, this may lead to a gap in neurodevelopment. This can lead to an insecure attachment. This is useful to be aware of as we can begin to understand how and why our body feels the way it feels. It may have happened before we were even conscious of what was going on, or we were not able to process our environment and so the biological response got “stuck” so to speak and lives on in our unconscious mind and body. A felt sense, an unconscious reaction.
I work with people to get to know and befriend their nervous system, to nurture it, to listen to its communication, and also to deliberately reverse-engineer a sense of safety when appropriate. Most often people are in a subconscious state of guarding, defensiveness and generally on the look out for the next threat. This can manifest as hypervigilance, difficulty relaxing, racing thoughts, distractedness, physical tension, bracing, body aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, digestive issues and even lowered immune function.
As you get to know your nervous system, you can begin a healing process. First comes the awareness, then practical and gentle somatic tools, and gradual biology support. We can rewire your nervous system with gentle and fun exercises. We can access the subconscious mind with muscle testing and hold space for you to process and release what is safe for you to let go of. We nurture your nervous system, soul and heart. Coming back into your body takes time, bit by bit, we come and go, until we are able to integrate our being into our body. But that’s a story for another day.
