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VDK'S The Body Keeps the Score - Coggle Diagram
VDK'S The Body Keeps the Score
What is Trauma?
How does trauma present itself?
loss of trust in self
"after you have experienced something so unspeakable, how do you learn to trust yourself" (VDK, 13)
VDK writes, "One of the hardest things for traumatized people is to confront their shame" (VDK, 13). I agree because humans pride themselves on being the "superior" life form, but if we encounter an instance where we are not able to protect ourselves it shows o0ur weakness. Portrayal of weakness is a sore spot for humans, and trauma is a display of that, which also leads to denial and hinders seeking help.
Becoming numb & not feeling emotion
traumatic experience replays in present day
"the sensory fragments of memory intrude into the present, where they are literally relived" (VDK, 66)
After a traumatic experience, its as if the person's body no longer experiences peace nor safety. Reliving their traumatic experiences causes continuous secretion of stress hormones. Defensive movements and emotional responses normally meant for high stress situations are replayed for relatively minuscule situations.
Lack of imagination
denial
fear
"precipitates unpleasant emotions, intense physical sensations, and impulsive and aggressive actions" (2, Van Der Kolk)
"Trauma, by definition, is unbearable and intolerable" (VDK, 1)
Before reading Van Der Kolk, trauma was something that happened to you. I lacked a deeper understanding of what it entailed. Traumatic events cause trauma. Now, after reading Van Der Kolk, I understand that trauma is the aftermath of the event, the emotional and physical response to said event.
The way I think of it is that trauma is the way our body reacts to triggers that remind us of our traumatic experience.
How does it affect us?
physical effects
fight or flight
hightened stress activates nervous system. continuous secretion of stress hormones and defensive movements and emotional responses are replayed
Emotional effects
lack of imagination
fear
shame
constantly on edge, paranoid
This emotional effects relates back to how traumatized people essentially relive their traumatic experiences. They are always on edge and respond to relatively minuscule situations with high stress and the paranoia causes them to see danger in almost anything.
essentially lack of trust, which relates back to social and familial effects
social & familial effects
unable to form relationships
Fear of being hurt
" After you have experienced something so unspeakable...How can you surrender to an intimate relationship after you have been brutally violated?" (VDK, 13)
Fear of hurting others
With those who have not experienced trauma
"people who have not shared the traumatic experience cannot be trusted, because they can't understand it" (VDK, 18) VDK talked about how traumatized people had a difficult time forming relationships with others and were numb at all time except when they would speak on their traumatic experience. When traumatized people come together and share their experiences, that is the only trusted community they can build because in their mind only a traumatized person can understand another traumatized person. Unfortunately, this keeps them locked in the past reliving their trauma.
avoiding owning up to shame or showing any weakness
How do we treat trauma?
Learning to live in the present pg 73
Limbic System Therapy
mindfullness
Relationships
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Desensitization
While this may help ease the pain of one's trauma, id have to agree with vdk that "desensitization to our own or other people's pain tends to lead to an overall blunting of emotional sensitivity" (VDK, 222). This connects back to how trauma affects us by causing people to be numb. It also hinders those ability to form relationships and be an active member In their community.
Drugs and Medications
The main idea behind healing trauma is to find a healthy way for those who are traumatized to cope with their feelings, essentially self-regulation. "drugs cannot 'cure' trauma; they can only dampen the expressions of disturbed physiology. And they do not teach the lasting lessons of self regulation" (VDK, 224)
"find ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed by the sensations and emotions associated with the past" (VDK, 204)
attacking child abuse pg 148 aka attacking early trauma to prevent issues as an adult
The idea of this map was to organize VDK's book and portray how I understood It. The three components being what trauma is, how does it affect us, and how it can be treated. There will be overlap because when talking about what trauma is you also get to the ways in which it affects us, mentally and physically. Then, when developing ways for treatment, you must consider how trauma affects you in order to counteract the effect.