Unstuck—What Can I Do to Help the Body Release Trauma?
Photo by Mikołaj Zeman on Unsplash
Mary had held it in for so long . . . too long.
It was a trauma story that she had carried for years . . . decades.
The box of her heart, her mind, and her body had been closed and locked.
As she began her healing journey and started finding keys to unlock her “stuck” story, she noticed a strange disconnect from her body. It was as if the bridge between her mind and body was broken.
Because her body had experienced trauma, and she had carried that pain for so long, she didn’t realize that she had disconnected from her body.
It was a natural coping mechanism to escape and numb the pain. If she didn’t feel her body, she wouldn’t feel the pain.
Mary just didn’t realize that this disconnect had happened . . . not until now.
What Happens When the Body Experiences Trauma?
According to Dr. Dana Spada, psychotherapist, trauma deeply affects an individual’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Our body’s natural response in the face of a traumatic event is to activate the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. As a result, stress hormones flood our entire system to protect us and to react to the threat.
“In cases of overwhelming trauma, this stress response can get stuck, leading to a dysregulation of the nervous system.”
This response can also get stuck in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that processes emotions and threats. This can lead to ongoing, heightened sensitivity that triggers intense emotional and physical reactions.
Finally, the trauma response can also get stuck in the body as it is stored in the body’s tissues and cellular memory.
Muscles and tissues often carry physical tension as a result of the body responding to the stress of a traumatic event. The heart, digestive system, and lungs can be affected. Trauma in the body can also manifest in sleep disorders and dermatological problems.
One of the leading experts on the effects of trauma on the body is Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., scientific researcher, active therapist, and author of the renowned work, The Body Keeps the Score—Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. He shares, “We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present.”
How to Release the Trauma in Our Bodies
If trauma can get “stuck” in our bodies, how can we release it and get it “unstuck”?
“Understanding how trauma is stored in the body is a crucial step toward healing and resilience,” says Dr. Spada. “Integrative approaches that combine traditional therapies with body-oriented techniques have shown promising results in addressing trauma’s physical manifestations.”
In addition to seeking professional support, Amber Foster, LCSW-S, suggests several mind-body practices to release trauma and to express stored emotions.
DISCLAIMER: It is best to engage with these practices under the awareness of a trauma sensitive coach, mentor, or therapist. These practices may be helpful for some people, but any of these practices can be distressing. If any of these practices bring someone outside of their window of tolerance, or if they notice adverse reactions, they should stop right away and try something else and/or seek professional help.
1. Acknowledge Your Feelings: It may be painful to process and express your difficult emotions, but avoidance will not make those hard feelings go away. Processing and acknowledging can be done alone, with a friend, or with a trained therapist or trauma-informed debriefer.
2. Yoga: According to Foster, “Experiencing trauma can cause us to feel that we have lost control of our bodies and/or physical responses. Practicing yoga regularly can help you connect with your body and reclaim control.” Some of the many benefits of yoga are self-regulation, mindfulness, increased self-esteem, positive emotions, self-compassion, and open-mindedness.
3. Mindfulness: Mindfulness involves being present in the moment, noticing feelings and sensations that come up with acceptance and no judgment, and allowing them to pass by. Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a guided mindfulness practice that involves tightening and relaxing the body’s muscle groups one at a time.
4. Self-Care: Practicing self-care can help to reduce disruptive symptoms and relax the body and mind. Self-care includes getting enough sleep so that the body and brain can heal, breathing exercises, mindfulness, setting healthy boundaries, avoiding drugs and alcohol, etc.
5. Journaling: Writing on the page or recording a voice memo can be an effective way of dumping or “purging” the trauma and pain. Do this activity in small doses with a timer set to 5–10 minutes. Check in at that moment to confirm that the body is not in any state of distress or activation. Writing prompts can also be helpful to get started with processing your trauma on the page.
6. Massage: Research shows that physical, emotional, and psychological stress can be released through massage therapy. It also helps to relieve depression, anxiety, irritability, and other trauma-related symptoms by increasing circulation, improving moods, reducing physical pain, and relaxing tense muscles.
7. Breathwork: Breathwork is the deliberate control of breath. It releases trauma, regulates the nervous system, and decreases PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms by releasing stress hormones from the body, increasing mood, and improving one’s focus.
8. Exercise: Physical exercise combats PTSD by improving mood, self-esteem, and cognitive function. Whether it’s a 30-minute walk, a swim, lifting weights, or dancing, movement releases trauma from the body. Dancing and shaking are ways to physically purge trauma. So, get on your dancing shoes and “shake it off”!
9. Nature: Combine your walking with the healing benefits of nature. The Japanese have long recognized the power of nature for mental and emotional health. Shinrin-yoku, “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere,” is a practice to release trauma from the body.
10. Therapy: Although we can do a lot on our own to release trauma from our bodies, if the symptoms are not improving and continue to feel overwhelming, we may need a trained professional to journey with us on the pathway of healing.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-informed therapy, somatic therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) work have also been found to be effective to help clients release trauma from the body.
That’s what happened to Mary. The process of releasing trauma from her body and healing her mind, brain, and body took time and patience, but Mary discovered that it was possible to heal and to get the trauma story “unstuck” from inside her body.
Where are you on your journey?