Note: The following information is from my book Unlocking the Puzzle of PTSD and is copyright-protected but may be used for educational purposes, with acknowledgment of the source of the contents.
The Amygdala:
The Amygdala in the brain stores memories of fear. On a very basic level, abuse and trauma feel like a threat to survival. The Amygdala is part of the brain’s Limbic System, which is involved with emotions and reactions to stimuli. An Amygdala highjacking is a term for how the fear center stops the front of the brain from working right. When you are afraid, this action of the Amygdala makes you literally unable to think.
That is why people say, “I was too scared to think!” Your body is getting ready very quickly to run, fight the threat, or freeze in place and hope it thinks you are dead and goes away. This probably worked well when humans were living around Saber Tooth tigers. Now, though, the brain acts the same way without the same environment. Therefore, people experience what they call Stress.
One of the most challenging things that trauma does to people is to cause extreme stress. A trigger is a form of stress.
Understanding Triggers:
A trigger is a sensory experience that causes a trauma reaction. It can be a sight, sound, smell, thought, memory, touch, movie, book, or conversation. It tends to cause anxiety, sometimes extreme terror. A trigger may happen before a flashback or cause an episode of dissociation.
Triggers may also happen during sleep or in a dream. From a spiritual perspective, triggers are the mind’s way of telling you that healing is needed.
Tools to Help in Healing:
The ability to take your power back is essential to healing from any past trauma, especially healing from PTSD or Complex PTSD.
The following are tools that can be used to assist in healing. If any tool triggers you, STOP using it. You can always try again at another time if you want to.
- Don’t overdrive your headlights. When you are driving and it is dark outside you will only see a few feet ahead. Then, as soon as you have gone as far as the lights shine, you will see farther ahead. So, take your time emotionally and only go as far as you can see at that time. Reminding yourself about this can help change your thinking and reactions.
- Breathe Deeply in through your nose to the count of 3, hold to 3, and out through your mouth to the count of 6. If you are panicking and can’t breathe in, Breathe Out! This will force you to breathe in. Try to breathe from your diaphragm, not your chest. If you are breathing correctly (think how a baby breathes), your stomach goes out as you breathe in, and your stomach goes in as you breathe out. Practice before you need it so that it is easier to use when you do need to calm yourself.
- Grounding. Grounding is the feeling that you are in your body and connected to reality. This is a simple grounding exercise, which works very well with flashbacks and panic attacks. Sit down, breathe deeply in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Press your hands down on your knees and your feet down on the floor. Continue to breathe deeply and slowly. Focus on what you see and hear around you. Say aloud four things you see and four things you hear around you. If you are having a flashback, remind yourself “This is only PTSD, it is a flashback, it is Not happening now. I am safe here now. This is just a memory.” Say your name and the date.
- Hold a teddy bear or other stuffed toy or hug a pet. Otherwise, find a safe person to hug. Hugs release oxytocin, which is a feel-good and bonds with other chemicals in the brain.
- Use a Healing Symbol. Decide upon a Healing Symbol that will make you feel safe and calm when you visualize it. If you have trouble visualizing, you can pretend that you see it and your mind will not know the difference. It can be anything you want such as a tree, an angel, a candle, your dog, etc. However, it has to be something that makes you feel safe and calm. Once you decide what you want to use, describe it in detail. Write how it looks, feels, sounds, smells, and tastes (if it is something that has a taste). You can also draw it. Then practice visualizing it in your mind’s eye while you breathe deeply, telling yourself, “This is my Healing Symbol to help me feel calm and safe.” Practice this repeatedly when you are calm. You use it as a Mantra in meditation is used. It is something to focus on. When you are trying to relax and/or meditate, thoughts may come into your mind that distract you. You can acknowledge them and pull yourself back to your Healing Symbol. It may take a bit of practice, but it is very powerful. Carrying a physical representation of your Healing Symbol can also help. For instance, a shell if your symbol is the ocean or a picture of your child if your symbol is your child. Put your physical representation in your pocket, and when you need to ground and calm yourself, hold it and remind yourself, “This is my Healing Symbol to help me feel calm and safe.”
- Power Shield. Draw a shield. This is not a drawing lesson, so you do not have to be an artist. You can make it look however you would like. It can be a Force field, a huge Angel, a big battle shield, or whatever you would like it to be. Divide the picture into 6 parts and either draw or write words in each part that make you feel safe. Practice visualizing it so that you can call it in when you need to feel powerful. You can also post it where you will look at it and remember to use it.
There are many other tools that can be used, and a chapter of them is included in my PTSD book. The ones listed above are just a few ideas. Learning as many tools as you can for your healing toolbox can be helpful. Using a variety of techniques can give you more of a chance to find something that will bring relief.
Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash
Resources:
The following are links to my three books. The first two books have tools that can be used for healing. The last one, a novel, is the first in a trilogy. The titles are: Unlocking the Puzzle of PTSD, Restoring the Broken Threads and Cry for the Children.
https://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Puzzle-PTSD-Holistic-Restoring/dp/B08KYPDL8B
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Susan Pollard, MS
https://www.facebook.com/susanpollardlifecoach susanp113@gmail.com
This article was very informative. It described the triggers and gave excellent advice on how to deal with them. The methods for healing were easy to understand and use. Excellent idea to practice the method before you need to use it.
Excellent article. And in these times of absolute craziness of our society we need good reminders of how to keep our sanity in a world that has gone mad. Lots of good advice in a simple format that’s easy to understand. I have all three of Susan’s books and found them emensly helpful!!
Wow! You did a fantastic job describing what you go through to help stay grounded. Great article. Thank you Susan Pollard! I look forward to your next article.
This is an excellent description of how to handle a trigger. I think it gives very good practical advice of steps you can take to help calm your nervous system.
Lots of helpful information.
Great for all trauma and ages.
A great article ,very informative to handle some of the pressures life hands us . Susan’s article has good advice in a format which is easy to follow and understand . You might want to check out her other books.
This is an excellent article with simple down to earth techniques to use when triggered. I also highly recommend Ms. Pollard’s book “Unlocking the Puzzle of PTSD”.