Dealing with Trauma
• Healing Trauma – Mindfulness Quiets the Mind •
• Illusions of Permanence Have Been Shattered
• With COVID-19 – Everything Changed. All at Once.
• Traumatic Experiences are Unique to Each Individual
• Symptoms of Psychological Trauma
• Mindfulness is Trauma First Aid
• Basic Mindfulness Exercise
• Humor and Laughter Helps Get Us Through Tough Situations
• Joe Walsh Sings – A Life of Illusion
“We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.”
– Buddha
Sometimes, I can’t help but feeling that I’m
Living a life of illusion…
Pow, right between the eyes
Oh how nature loves her little surprises
– Joe Walsh, Album: There Goes The Neighborhood (1981)
Illusions of Permanence Have Been Shattered
Now that COVID-19 quarantines are coming to an end – it’s not too early to talk about the side effects from coronavirus lockdowns: Trauma and PTSD.
Prior to March 2020 – everyone was going about their daily lives, as usual. There were triumphs and tragedies. But for the most part – individuals had confidence that there were certain societal structures in place. And that they knew how to deal with them.
With the coronavirus pandemic – a major collective illusion has been shattered.
As with all moments that shatter our sense of personal security – we now also have an opportunity for personal growth, starting with Mindfulness Training.
With COVID-19 – Everything Changed. All at Once.
The stress and fear that have come from this pandemic, along with the global loss and isolation required to combat it – are the perfect ingredients for psychological trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When the dust settles from this crisis – almost everyone will be impacted.
This isn’t to say we won’t recover. However, the impact from the stress and grief people have experienced in a short period of time will impact us long after this is pandemic has ended.
Emotional and psychological trauma occurs when extraordinarily stressful events shatter an individual’s usual sense of security. As a result, there is a feeling of being temporarily helpless in a dangerous world.
Most people who experience traumatic events have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping. If trauma symptoms get worse – or last more than 3 months and interfere with day-to-day functioning – you may have PTSD.
Traumatic Experiences are Unique to Each Individual
Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety. However any situation that creates a feeling of being overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma. Trauma does not need to involve physical harm. The more frightened and helpless feelings that are generated – the more likely trauma will occur.
Grief is also a major component of our current situation.
We all react to trauma in different ways. There is a wide range of physical and emotional reactions to trauma. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond. Do not judge your own reactions or those of others.
Critical in healing from trauma: Do not turn to drugs or alcohol as the only (or total) solution.
Substance abuse does not work to heal trauma. And in the long run – a substance abuse (addiction) problem makes everything much worse.
If you – or a friend or loved one – are a ‘functioning alcoholic‘ or ‘functioning addict‘ – no need to wait until rock bottom is hit before seeking help.
Symptoms of Psychological Trauma
We all react to trauma in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond, so don’t judge your own reactions or those of other people.
Your responses are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events.
Emotional and Psychological Symptoms:
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Confusion, difficulty concentrating
- Anger, irritability, mood swings
- Anxiety and fear
- Guilt, shame, self-blame
- Withdrawing from others
- Feeling sad or hopeless
- Feeling disconnected or numb
Physical Symptoms:
- Insomnia or nightmares
- Fatigue
- Being startled easily
- Difficulty concentrating
- Racing heartbeat
- Edginess and agitation
- Aches and pains
- Muscle tension
Mindfulness is Trauma First Aid
Awareness, Connection, Compassion (for self and others), and Acceptance
Mindfulness is the basis for healing trauma.
• Awareness – Denial and shock are the first emotional impacts of trauma. With Mindfulness and great care and gentleness for yourself – practice being aware of your emotions. In time and with mindfulness practice – you will be able to begin to recognize emotions as they occur – without acting on them. Make note of the situation and the emotion. If possible, share the emotional experience with someone you trust. It’s amazing how powerful simply noting and talking about emotions can be. It decreases the chance of holding onto traumatic feelings after the crisis passes. Warning: Denial, suppression or ‘stuffing’ of trauma and negative emotions will only make personal trauma effects worse in the long run.
• Connection – is required to navigate through trauma. In-person connection helps in coping with traumatic situations. Although we are fortunate to be able to connect online – we also have to be real about the limitations. Online connection is helpful, but it is not the same as in-person contact. To cope with the realities of COVID-19, we are required to override this important basic need. individuals need to remain aware of the limitation; and use the technology. As the threat passes, we must make an effort to engage in social connections to help re-acclimate.
• Compassion for Self and Others – Individuals are often hard on themselves regarding how they are coping with a trauma. We often downplay intense emotions and tell ourselves that we should not have them. Do the opposite: Be kind to yourself and accept the emotions. Doing so will decrease the likelihood that trauma emotions will remain in a negative way.
If you notice someone seems in shock after they have come out of denial – support them.
Demonstrating compassion and kindness can build your own resilience to trauma. Co-regulation, also called mutual regulation or social affect regulation, can be defined as the way in which one person’s autonomic nervous system sensitively interacts with another person’s autonomic nervous system – in a way that facilitates greater emotional balance and physical health. We humans are deeply interconnected with each other and influence each other in a multitude of ways.
• Acceptance – It is important to note that you can do amazing psychological first aid and still walk away with side effects from a traumatic time. Trauma is not about weakness. Remember, it often comes from us trying to do the right things in challenging times. The good news is that there are a lot of therapists out there who are trained in trauma who can help. Whether it is first aid or problems down the road, trauma therapy can help.
Basic Mindfulness Exercise
Below, some instructions to get started in the practice of mindfulness.
If you are experiencing stress, pressure or feeling overwhelmed – do the following:
- Stop what you are doing. If you need to excuse yourself and walk away to another room or outside – do it.
- Breathe deeply and hold the breath as long as you can. ‘Watch’ your breath. That is: concentrate on breathing as if this is your only activity in the world. And for now, it is.
- Slowly release the breathe. Breathe in slowly and again hold the breath.
- Repeat concentration on slow breathing for 1-2 minutes.
- When it feels comfortable – listen. Just…listen. If you are outside, hear the wind moving in the trees. Notice birdsong or even car noise. Just listen to sounds in your surroundings without making a good/bad judgement.
- The combination of centering by concentrating on the breath and listening to surroundings without involvement – will bring you back to your ‘center’.
- Our center is the place where we can just ‘be’ for a few moments, without any judgement. This is who we really are.
- Centering works to ‘break’ the connection with physical and emotional stress. It returns us to a place of inner peace.
- If an unsettled state of mind cannot be brought back into perspective through this mindfulness exercise – mindfully walk or do something else for a few minutes.
- Repeat Steps 2-5. Inner balance and calm are critical factors to implement during times of severe stress.
Mindfulness Articles of Interest
The Single Most Important Thinking Skill Nobody Taught You
Be Like Water – Bruce Lee’s Famous Metaphor for Resilience
Humor and Laughter Helps to Get Us Through Tough Situations
What else can help heal trauma? Humor!
The old saying ‘you gotta laugh’ – it is actually true. Laughter and humor help us survive trauma – and generate a feeling of connection with others.
To survive (and thrive) after trauma – if we can joke about something, it makes the situation less threatening in our minds.
Joe Walsh and A Life of Illusion
Joe Walsh was a solo artist and also a member of the Eagles band. He wrote and recorded the song A Life of Illusion in 1981 after the breakup of the Eagles.
This song somehow seems very appropriate for the times. Enjoy!
Pow, right between the eyes
Oh how nature loves her little surprises
A Life of Illusion
Sometimes, I can’t help but feeling that I’m
Living a life of illusion
And oh, why can’t we let it be
And see through the hole in this wall of confusion
I just can’t help but feeling I’m living a life of Illusion
Pow, right between the eyes
Oh how nature loves her little surprises
Wow, it all seems so logical now
It’s just one of her better disguises
And it comes with no warning, nature loves her little surprises
Continual crisis
Hey, don’t you know it’s a waste of your day
Caught up in endless solutions
That have no meaning
Just another hunch, based upon jumping conclusions
Backed up against a wall of confusion
Caught up in endless solutions
Living a life of illusion
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Kenneth R. Passarelli / Joseph F. Walsh
Album: There Goes The Neighborhood (1981)
A Life of Illusion lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Quiet the Mind and the True Self Will Speak
“Guiding individuals to uncover and activate the ability of Calm Abiding Mindfulness.
Providing personal growth opportunities with Mindfulness Training and More.”
Start where you are. Progress at your own pace.
Our Mindfulness Training courses present several different methods for learning to calm the mind and develop Mindfulness.
While some individuals very quickly resonate with counting the breath; others do not find that method helpful.
We present several approaches to Mindfulness Training that work with differing learning styles.
Our training classes include visualization, movement, sound, breath training and discussion.
All training classes are non-denominational and ecumenical.
• Calm Abiding Mindfulness
• Meditation for Pain and Stress Reduction
• Meditation Workshops and Seminars
• Personal Growth with Insight Meditation
• Mindfulness Training for Business
• Mindful Addiction Recovery
• Mindful Trauma Recovery