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Transcription de la vidéo

This sessions' activity is to try to identify where in your body you feel the stress response. You can write it out, or also feel free to draw it out in your thought diary!

We've shared here a template for you to use if you'd like to draw it, as well as a filled-out drawing with some of the common trauma responses we've discussed.

Fight, flight, or freeze: Your body's defense mechanism

Trauma can leave us with many different complicated emotions, fears, and concerns. Based on narrative therapy and journaling techniques, we explore how to identify triggers, understand the science of trauma, re-build self-esteem, work through shame, and recognise the ways we’ve already been resilient.

Reclaiming resilience in your trauma story

Week 1: Foundational Concepts

Week 2: Psychosocial elements of trauma

Week 3: Resilience - the magic trick

Week 4: Coping mechanisms

Week 5: Building a narrative that feels right

Overview

We explore how the body and mind produce the fear response during and after traumatic events, and review different grounding techniques for reducing stress. 

The trauma response

 Hello everyone! How are you doing? Today it’s Dina and Flora back for Week 1 Session 2. 

We hope everyone’s starting to settle into the course, getting used to our structure, and feeling ready to really get started! 

to try and imagine a place or scene that makes us feel Safe. It can be somewhere you’ve been before, a place you remember, maybe from a holiday; or it could be somewhere you’ve heard about, maybe in a story, or it could be somewhere that you invent and make up yourself.

Now, take a few deep breaths....notice the feelings and sensations that come up in your body when you imagine this space. Notice if you are feeling positive emotions. Have another look around and take a mental picture of this place, save that image. This is your Safe Place and you can come here whenever you want to feel calm and secure. 

So for example my safe space is and this might sound a little strange but and if you've done some of our courses before you'd already know this about me but my safe spaces are cupboards. I find that they're very kind of warm and cosy and I used to spend a lot of time in covers as a kid so yeah quite nostalgic too but how about you, Dina?

 Mine is so I haven't lived in -- I've lived in UK for 10 years and then originally I'm from Syria so in our house ..in the kitchen, there is the heater and there is a corner where there is a little tv and the heat and there is a chair next to the heater and in front of me there is a window I really like to sit there at night and that's my safe space because everyone go to sleep and I would sit there and just dream plan I planned all my trip to England before I came here dreamed of getting married to prince William or prince Harry when I moved into the UK and apparently this --I have plans --when failed when family but yeah that's my safe place to be myself and dream. 

Should we do the fun question today as well? Flora, what's your favourite dessert?

 That's such a difficult question to answer. I think at the moment my favourite thing to have as an after dinner treat is a date like a really good measurable date dipped in peanut butter. I absolutely love it, I can't get enough of them. How about you?

 You know I love that that-- that that's very healthy I can't decide which what is my favourite dessert but at this moment I'm so into Baba Au Rum i don't I think you know what you're french you know that so it's like sponge cake and it's just dipped into rum and it has a little bit of cream and one cherry on the top it's like i can't get enough of that I used to have it when I'm kid and I found it in the UK and i'm so into it just yeah this course sounds all about foods we have a question about spice questions about dessert yes it's all about food right so let's back to our content 

 Our emotional response to any life event has an impact on our body,  but trauma has a very specific way of doing this: the famous ‘fight or flight’ response. Or, as we refer to this response in Bloom: we call it our 

This third response, freeze, is another part of our fear reaction - we’ll get into this more in a moment. Our 3F fear response is a survival mechanism that prepares us to either fight for survival, to run away when we're in danger, or freeze or keep still to avoid detection from outside threats. If you’ve been in a Bloom course with us before, you’re probably pretty familiar with this description at this point! 

 When our brain detects some form of danger in our environment, one of the first things that happens is that an early warning alarm is sent out by the amygdala - we may have heard of this as one of the brain structures that is heavily involved in producing and processing emotional responses, especially fear and anxiety. At this point, the amygdala sends and receives signals from the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory storage and activation; this means we can recall previous memories that might be useful in processing this threat. A very short amount of time later, this warning signal also reaches the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain involved in cognitive processes like decision-making, judgment, and executive control. It coordinates activity from loads of other parts of the brain, meaning that we can make decisions and actions that are rational and well-informed. But the fact that it gets the message and can help us respond doesn’t mean that message isn’t also relayed to the amygdala, which triggers a stress response, even if we work out later that something wasn’t threatening. 

 At the body level, our 3F response triggers a series of dramatic physical changes designed to give us a burst of energy and strength - as our body's automatic response to danger. Once this danger is over, our systems return to normal function, and we become physiologically “relaxed” again. Our responses to threats are regulated by what’s known as our “sympathetic nervous system”. Our sympathetic nervous system is the system that puts into action the 3F response, which is also associated with a release in a load of hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which are released into the bloodstream. These chemicals are what make it possible to do extraordinary things in emergency situations. You might have heard the common saying that ‘a mother can lift up a car to save her baby’. While that example might be a myth, it’s true that a sudden release of these stress hormones can facilitate incredible strength and speed in life-or-death situations. If you’re interested in looking it up, it’s called ‘hysterical strength’.

 What happens when our body goes into the fight or flight state? A number of changes happen automatically in our body, including:

 We might be more used to hearing about these bodily reactions in the context of fight or flight - our bodies tensing up, reading to run away or to face an aggressor. But a lot of explanations of this fear response neglect the “freeze” response. You may have heard of or experienced the “freeze” response. 

. People who experience it usually report feeling like time slows down, and that their body sensations are numbed. This sometimes happens during or after traumatic situations when we were not able to escape; whether that was a one-time traumatic event, or long-term exposure to a traumatic environment like physical or sexual abuse.

 As freezing mostly occurs when our perception of the threat is extreme and escape from this situation is impossible, the ‘freezing’ reaction makes perfect sense: some people that have survived physical attacks report this kind of reaction reduces physical pain and emotional terror during such experiences. The ‘freezing’ response - like fight and flight - can therefore also be seen as a kind of adaptation to an extreme circumstance. 

 The reaction process with the fight-flight-freeze responses occurs very quickly and 

That is, it happens automatically. Two people in the same situation may have different responses to the exact same stimulus! How our bodies react is a combination of evolution, as they are designed for survival, and past experience: if freezing or running has helped us escape danger or threat in our past, we are likely to repeat that to increase our chances of survival. Even the same person can show each of these responses in different situations. 

 Let’s now take a moment to talk about the threats we might be facing, and why our body responds the way that it does. Even though the 3F reaction has been with us from prehistoric times, the nature of the threats has now changed. Nowadays, we are more likely to have to cope with psychological threats and stressors, like pressure of deadlines, traffic queues, delays, disagreements at work and interpersonal problems. They're not situations where physical aggression or running away are the best answers – and, yet, our bodies react as if we're facing physical danger: with the fight, flight, or freeze response. As modern life becomes more pressured and complex, we add more and more psychological triggers to the list. Given how important social belonging and interaction are now as they have been throughout human history, it makes sense for threats to our social inclusion and relationships to be able to trigger ‘social fears’, which can manifest in our body with some of those physical markers of stress we just discussed. 

while trauma can involve physical threat, it often doesn’t.

 So why is our 3F response still triggered? Why are our bodies still reacting in such an extreme way? For many of us in this course, we have been put in physical danger by an abuser, aggressor, or perpetrator of physical violence. But even if we’ve survived a type of trauma that didn’t involve any physical threat, we’ve still had our needs threatened - our freedom, independence, attention, affection, relationships, finances, housing, and more. These are threats to the fulfillment of our needs. In that sense, they’re still dangerous. What is also dangerous about a type of ongoing trauma like abuse, or harassment, or oppression, is its unpredictability. In the case of abuse, that suspicious comment from our partner could mean nothing - or it could mean they’re going to go through our phone later, shout at us, and delete more of our contacts because we “can’t be trusted”. Or maybe we grew up in an abusive situation; our parents’ behaviour might have been unpredictable - sometimes full of love and care, other times cold, maybe even at times physically threatening or unstable. 

Often in an abusive situation, even if the threat isn’t to our life, the threat is uncertain. In the case of traumatic oppression, we may also feel constantly on-guard for warning signs in our environment of further harassment or violence; for a racialised woman living in a white-majority country, for example, there may be no environment that feels fully safe from the unpredictable aggressions she faces, like racist comments or sexual harassment, in addition to any physical violence she might be threatened with. In these kinds of unpredictable situations, we can’t afford to make a mistake, so our body goes full-throttle in responding with a fear response and preparing us for all possible bad outcomes. When we’ve been living in a dangerous environment, or with damaging, unpredictable people, for so long - constantly monitoring their moods or our freedom - anything can feel like a threat, not just to our self-esteem, but to our lives. 

 Of course, in the case of survivors of physical violence, we can experience both of these elements: we will likely present with a physical response to a very REAL physical threat, but we also have the additional stressor of any psychological manipulation and emotional abuse we’ve experienced, like abuse, or racist, homophobic, transphobic, or other prejudiced emotional harm. This is why it can be so difficult to process these experiences, especially if we are still experiencing oppression or abuse on a regular basis. Our brain will push for trying to integrate the traumatic memory, but our body and mind is still trying to survive in our everyday reality of emotional trauma.

 As a result of trauma, whether we experienced physical or another type of threat, our system is constantly triggered and responding to potential threats and dangers. That’s why now, in our daily lives, even if we are no longer in a traumatic situation, we might be coming in and out of this 3F state many times throughout the day. Why? This is partly because of “triggers” - events that remind us of our original trauma. For example, the sound of a couple arguing next door could trigger the memory of being abused, or the smell of petrol could remind us of being trapped in the car after a crash. 

Getting triggered, or even just our sympathetic nervous system remaining hypervigilant and ready for action,  means we can be 'wired up' almost constantly – with dangerous consequences for our health. Chronic stress can impact our immune system function, our digestion, our heart health, our cognitive function, and more. In addition to these implications for our health, going through this danger response on a regular basis can also manifest in our emotions. If you often feel dread, anxiety, guilt, worry, or fear, this can be related to being ‘wired up’ to be constantly ready for danger. 

If you feel you are suffering with the 3F state on a regular basis, it's important to check in with yourself and try to figure out why this is happening. This response exists 

to keep you safe - often, your body might be trying to tell you that you are not safe. There could be a present threat in the environment, or something similar in the present environment which triggers a memory of the traumatic experience. However, if you know you are not in immediate danger, but your body still feels like a threat is present, it could be a sign of a trauma response affecting your everyday life and stress. Consider speaking to someone you trust, or please consult a professional if you feel it is affecting your everyday life. Plus, you’re here with us, and working on your recovery: that is showing care to your present state and environment as well. 

 There’s just one last bit of biology that’s going to be useful to us in understanding and processing our trauma response. As well as the 

that is in control of the 3F response, we also have a 

parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system

 controls some of our restorative bodily functions: which deals with sleep and digestion. 

Functionally, we’re meant to work in rhythm between the two to keep our systems balanced. After trauma, the balance between these two systems can go off - our sympathetic nervous system stays in overdrive, and we may cycle between states of dissociation and hypervigilance.  But the trick is that when we MAKE our bodies relax, only one nervous system can be “on” at any one time. For example, as we sit down and go through breathing exercises, this 

starts up, and the sympathetic nervous system - which controls our rapid heart-rate, tension, and stress - has to shut down. 

 We’ve actually probably already found ways to regulate our nervous systems - and to bring the para

these are often called coping mechanisms. Eating, drinking non-alcoholic beverages, or the more dangerous self-harm are ways of returning to that state of “rest”. In this way, we’ve ALREADY been taking care of ourselves, we just haven’t known that was what we were trying to do, or always had the resources to make the healthiest choices. 

But here, now, we have the opportunity to work with our body’s natural danger and calming mechanisms, those 2 nervous systems, to allow ourselves to reach more balanced reactions to stress. 

Grounding techniques - like we have practiced at the beginning of this session! By engaging with the “here and now”, we can bring ourselves back to calmness. Grounding exercises connect us with the present, they interrupt difficult thoughts, overwhelming sensations, and can change old patterns of behaviour as we interact with our environment. What’s also amazing about them is that they can be done anywhere - and become easier over time.

Some of us find it difficult to focus on our breathing and it can make us more anxious to try and do that. If this happens to you, here's a little tip: instead of focusing on your breathing, if you are feeling alert or anxious or nervous, try to find something in your surroundings to focus on. 

 Maybe there's a painting on the wall. Focus on its frame, the colors, the textures and describe the object in your head as if you were telling someone that can't see it. Usually by the time you are done describing it in your head, your breathing is back to normal and you're out of our 

This is why we’re doing grounding exercises at the beginning of every session - so we can find the ones that work for us in moments of crisis. 

The best thing we can do as we begin our journey of understanding our trauma reaction, and knowing how to deal with it in the moment, is to 

learn about how Traumatic reactions feel for us personally. 

Try to identify your triggers. Is there a special sound, smell, place that brings back intrusive memories or flashbacks? Once you know this, try to put things in place to help you stay grounded by anticipating some things that can come up for you. 

 Let's have a look at an example: Julio has been suffering from intense trauma reactions following a house fire. He knows his triggers are: anything that smells like smoke, and when people all of a sudden bring up the subject of his house fire in conversation and in public. Julio’s self-care action plan is: 

Julio was able to anticipate his needs and act upon them to reduce the impact triggers can have. The context in which triggers might come up is not always predictable, but having some tools to quickly adapt to difficult situations can help us feel more in control. And practice is always helpful. 

The activity is...Can you identify Trauma or stress reactions in your body? How does it feel when you get nervous or anxious? Some of us feel it in our bellies. Some of us get really hot. Or our mouth gets really dry. 

This week, try to locate where in your body you feel stress, write it down in your thought diary, and let us know by message. We’ll send you a stick person as well, for some inspiration, that you can use as a base for this drawing if you want. 

 Remember, this is an investment in your own journey to recovery. Give yourself the best chance to build resilience. You can do this. 

Please let us know if you have any concerns, questions, or feedback by messaging our live chat, we would love to hear from you. We are here to support you, so get in touch!

 Thank you everyone for coming to this session and showing up for yourself and others who are here because they know they are not alone. We’re in this together. 