Calming “Fight or Flight”
Experiencing trauma leads to the activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System or the “Fight of Flight” response. Our cortisol levels spike, bodily functions deemed unnecessary temporarily shut down to conserve energy for fleeing danger, and our entire body processes information in an acute and intense manner. What happens when the body can no longer separate between a life-threatening event and a small change it could normally adapt to? We begin living in a constant state of “Fight or Flight". Our Parasympathetic Nervous System, the “Rest and Digest” response, is never given a chance to work it’s healing magic. The body and brain begin to suffer as its regular functions are no longer operating in a healthy manner. We find it more difficult to activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System as we consistently feel threatened. The body grows weak and ill from the constant anticipation that something is going to cause you harm. We are never allowed the chance to recuperate.
September 6th, 2019 Hurricane Dorian brought a seven foot tsunami to the island where I live. Every home and business was affected as the island was completely submerged. I looked outside at a dry yard and 20 minutes later leapt out of bed as a three foot river of water rushed down the street and within fifteen minutes my home began to flood…two feet of water came inside. It was devastating. We are still repairing our home and replacing belongings. Eight months after that, however, our 2-year old cat was hit by a car. The vet thought he was fine with an injury that was common and would heal and sent him home. The next day I drove overnight to an animal hospital and had to make the decision to put him down because the injury had caused irrevocable damage that the previous vet didn't look into and our cat was dying. And somewhere in the middle of that Covid-19 changed our world.
These events, in addition to general life experiences, caused a series of reactions that are textbook for people who have experienced trauma. Wether you are witness to a natural disaster, an accident, negligence or abuse…these reactions become a part of your daily life. I began to worry excessively that my partner and I weren’t paying enough attention to details - driving too fast or too slow, not turning the lights off, a potential fire hazard, paying attention to pets, doing things “just right” to prevent an accident. I became hyper aware of my space and the people in it and what they were doing. Every little change or energy surge felt life-threatening with my heart racing so fast I could feel it slamming against the inside of my chest. I couldn’t have a sound notification on my phone or computer. I couldn’t handle interruptions as they’d completely break my concentration and it was difficult to regain my focus. I did more meditation and breathing exercises than I can count…just to exist. I gained weight that exercise and diet couldn’t change. Work stress caused my shoulders and neck to tighten so I could barely move my head. This is a result from “bracing,” I was constantly bracing for the next bad thing to happen.
Fortunately, I had a lot of help and a lot of tools that I leaned on during this time to take baby steps towards healing. One of the tools that was, and is, one of the most helpful came from trauma therapist Resmaa Menakem. On the podcast “On Being” with Krista Tippett he introduced an exercise that has been a part of my daily life as well as my meditation and yoga teachings ever since. If you too are struggling with trauma, trauma-related reactions, calming the fight or flight response so you can more appropriately respond to situations that arise….I highly suggest you click the link below and listen to Resmaa guide you through this exercise. Out bodies store so much information on a physiological level that we cannot just think our way through our experiences, we have to address them physically.
I hope this exercise helps you with whatever you’re going through and gives you the courage to seek out other tools that can assist you in your healing. You are not broken. You are not beyond the capacity to heal. Your body has evolved to protect you and it has done a fantastic job of keeping you alive, but right now it may need your assistance in letting it know that it has done its job and can rest. Activate that parasympathetic nervous system, if only for a second.
https://onbeing.org/blog/race-and-healing-body-practice/