dealing with trauma

In response to threat and injury, animals, including humans, execute biologically based, non-conscious action patterns that prepare them to meet the threat and defend themselves. The very structure of trauma, including activation, dissociation and freezing are based on the evolution of survival behaviors. When threatened or injured, all animals draw from a "library" of possible responses. We orient, dodge, duck, stiffen, brace, retract, fight, flee, freeze, collapse, etc. All of these coordinated responses are somatically based- they are things that the body does to protect and defend itself. It is when these orienting and defending responses are overwhelmed that we see trauma.

The bodies of traumatized people portray "snapshots" of their unsuccessful attempts to defend themselves in the face of threat and injury. Trauma is a highly activated incomplete biological response to threat, frozen in time. For example, when we prepare to fight or to flee, muscles throughout our entire body are tensed in specific patterns of high energy readiness. When we are unable to complete the appropriate actions, we fail to discharge the tremendous energy generated by our survival preparations. This energy becomes fixed in specific patterns of neuromuscular readiness. The person then stays in a state of acute and then chronic arousal and dysfunction in the central nervous system. Traumatized people are not suffering from a disease in the normal sense of the word- they have become stuck in an aroused state. It is difficult if not impossible to function normally under these circumstances.”

                                                                         Peter A. Levine

“When you have a persistent sense of heartbreak and gutwrench, the physical sensations become intolerable and we will do anything to make those feelings disappear. And that is really the origin of what happens in human pathology. People take drugs to make it disappear, and they cut themselves to make it disappear, and they starve themselves to make it disappear, and they have sex with anyone who comes along to make it disappear and once you have these horrible sensations in your body, you’ll do anything to make it go away.”

                                                                        Bessel A. van der Kolk

_____________________________________________________

Lies

Corruption

The slow intentional destruction of the planet

Guns

Dead children

Arrogant leaders

Abused power

Willful ignorance

Entrenched racism

Too much fear

Too much pain

Too much hate

Too much greed

Too much

Too much

Too much

My soul feels the threats

Coming in from everywhere

And all too often it is traumatized

Injured

And I want to

dodge,

duck,

stiffen,

brace,

retract,

fight,

flee,

freeze,

collapse

I try all the common remedies

I read

Walk

Pray

Socialize

I breathe, slowly

I meditate

But still my soul is vigilant

On fire

My entire spiritual system is on alert

Chronically aroused

And I cannot rest

My heart cries out, echoing the Psalmist

Railing against the prevailing evil

I want to believe in Love

In grace

In justice and truth

But then I see “the people

At the top, ….the wicked who have it made,

Who have nothing to worry about,     not a care in the whole wide world.

Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence,

Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness.

They jeer, using words to kill they bully their way with words.

They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace.

People actually listen to them—can you believe it?

    Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?

    Nobody’s tending the store.  (Psalm 73, The Message)

And I am overwhelmed

my soul is tired

frayed at the edges

and my resolve weakens

I want to slip into vindictiveness

And anger

I am tempted to prayer for God’s wrath to descend

I slide to spiritual pathology

And then

I remember

All the stories of deliverance

God with a mighty hand, bringing people out

of slavery

even a slavery of their own making

I remember

How on the night he was betrayed

Jesus took the bread

And took the cup

And said,

I will be with you always

Always

Always

I cannot dodge what is happening

I cannot make it disappear

But awake to Sacred Presence

I can engage it

I can respond to it

A different way

it is no longer a matter of

dodge,

duck,

stiffen,

brace,

retract,

fight,

flee,

freeze,

collapse

but of

compassion

welcome

kindness

openness

warmth

strength (not my own)

and Love (not my own)

When I am in touch with the Sacred within

I can discharge the tremendous energy of evil

I cannot escape the trauma

But I can heal from it,

And find my way

To hope and peace

(May the peace of God, which passes all understanding

keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of our Lord, Jesus Christ)  Phil. 4:7