What is Trauma? How do i cope with it?

*I just want to address I am in no way a counsellor or psychologist this is all just from my own research (journals) and words. Please take this post with a pinch of salt. It is simply adding in some nuggets of information you may not known of but will take away to think about or to use. If you find any of this triggering, please seek professional help.

 

So, as we are all adjusting to another new normal – with more changes to come. I wanted to send out a reminder that it is okay to ease up on yourself, particularly during this time. For me personally, I have had 2 bouts of un-welcoming news over the last couple of days – so quite frankly I am now officially DONE with 2020!

 

We all handle stress, anxiety, and overwhelming news quite differently, and even more so in these troublesome, uncertain times. It is a matter of listening to your own bodies & minds, really focusing on how you are feeling each day. My best advice is to stick to somewhat of a routine. The most important thing is to find what works for you. If you are some one that loves their workouts but using it as an excuse to ‘relax’ or use as ‘therapy’ that is all good. So long as you are using it in the correct manor and not using it as a blanket to cover up any other issues going on in your life.

 

One of the biggest drawbacks people have when they are striving for the new PB lift or certain weight or just to get out and move your mind set has everything to do with that! And if your mindset is not all in for those sessions or even in between then you are more than likely going to struggle to get there.  

 

Below is just some information I have put together that may help one person out there understand or even just to educate yourselves on a little nugget of information to the mind. We all think that going to the gym will help us physically (yes it will) but, we also need to look after our mind.

 

Trauma and stress come in all shapes and sizes. It can be emotional trauma, physical trauma, or trauma caused by prolonged, chronic stress or unhealthy social, political, or romantic relationships. Often, trauma is not a brief experience, but rather something felt throughout the entire body, resonating in the way we think, feel, and process information in the future.

If it is not addressed within time it will be suppressed and then come out at the most random time or the smallest thing can trigger it and we would not know why it is happening and can explain the reason we did something or acted in a certain way. Therefore, I have taken time out this week to assess and accept things that have happened this week. I have even taken the step to booking a therapy session (finally) I have been playing around with the idea about doing it for so long but always thought why do I need it? I don’t have anything wrong with me. I’m sure there is someone else who would need it more than me. But everyone needs someone to talk to, especially who is professionally trained and know how to ask all the right questions and cast no judgement. 

Traumatic stress can cause lasting changes in certain areas of the brain. These are the Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Prefrontal cortex are all affected by traumatic stress, typically due to increased Cortisol production as well as Norepinephrine response, which is a naturally occurring chemical in the body that acts as both a stress hormone and neurotransmitter (a substance that sends signals between nerve cells). It's released into the blood as a stress hormone when the brain perceives that a stressful event has occurred.

After experiencing any traumatic stress, both Cortisol and Norepinephrine are quick to release in times of stress, causing the body to go into a panicked state regularly. These can come from any small trigger.

The Amygdala can be found in the middle of the temporal lobe. Its purpose is to detect real threats and activate our fight-or-flight response in the sympathetic nervous system. It also helps us to store new memories about ‘threat-related’ situations so we can avoid them in the future. The prefrontal cortex’s role is to relieve unnecessary reactions, regulate attention and situational awareness, to help us to make the best decisions in potentially stressful situations. The function of the hippocampus is within the domain of learning and memory.

Fitness Example

An exercise example could be doing box jumps. I know this is a fear that many people have because they have gone to do them before and either fall on the box, fallen off or just not had the confidence to do so. This can be linked to social trauma (what if people see me fall) or even self-doubt / sabotage ‘I’ll never be able to do that’. Having a bad experience or even the fear of doing it because they may have seen someone do it in person, or even on a video, either way they have this image imprinted and don’t want to change it. Following from that is that they most likely have never had the tools / guidance to ‘get back on the box’ which is why we need to go at our own paces to push through the fear.

Think Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Psychologies Magazine

explains that it can cause trouble in terms of the ability to have healthy, satisfying relationships or tolerate the uncertainties and let-downs that naturally occur in life. It can also cause irrational phobias, disrupted sleep, anxiety and depression, and trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks. Essentially, our thinking center is compromised, and our fear center is hyperactive.

Other ways these changes in the brain can affect our daily lives is that they can make us hypervigilant and short-tempered. This type of needless, chronic daily stress takes a toll on our bodies. It hides out in our joints and tendons, causing tension and, occasionally, injuries. Most commonly is tight neck and shoulders. It is tough on our skin and makes us age more rapidly and lose vital sleep, lowers our immune system, and leaves us vulnerable to chronic illnesses and inflammation.

It first takes, acceptance to know when your not 100% and when to address the situations, once you have targeted the issue it then turns to repetition / routine of when the ‘triggers’ come up you have the tools available to tackle them. But most of all, like any new skills it requires patience. You are essentially training your mind to act a different way. If you think about it is a fitness sense, you want to learn a new movement – what do you do? You give it a go, if you cant quite get it, you as for help, you then build that confidence and education until you get to it. It may have different avenues for other people and that is okay. You need to work on what works for you personally, don’t worry about what Sally is doing next to you if she is doing the same ‘movement’, she has got a different plan for her.

Again, I cannot stress enough that if it is something or you know someone that needs professional help, they seek it themselves. Look out for others around you, but most importantly, look out for yourself. Be your own number1.