Trauma And The Nervous System
This system runs throughout the whole body and plays a major role in how we react to situations.
What is the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?
This practice involves intentionally slowing and controlling your breathing to help calm the body and mind.
What is deep breathing?
This is one way the mind can cope with too much stress, including stress during a traumatic event.
What is dissociation?
Generational trauma is also known by these two terms.
What are intergenerational trauma and transgenerational trauma?
In the cycle of abuse, this stage involves abusive behaviors slowly building in intensity and frequency.
What is tension?
When thinking about trauma in the body, this is one question we can ask ourselves to understand our reactions: “What makes you think something is ___ or overwhelming?”
What is scary?
Tai Chi, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing are examples of this type of approach to trauma recovery.
What are mind-body approaches?
Becoming so absorbed in a book or movie that you temporarily lose awareness of your surroundings is an example of this.
What is everyday dissociation?
This refers to trauma that extends from one generation to the next through behaviors, emotional responses, beliefs, communication, and environment.
What is generational trauma?
During this stage of the cycle of abuse, tension breaks and may involve intimidation, threats, insults, breaking things, or physical violence.
What is the incident stage?
Trauma can affect us not only through thoughts and emotions but also through this physical system that responds to perceived threats.
What is the nervous system?
This is the process through which interactions with other people help us regulate our emotional and physiological states.
What is co-regulation?
Not remembering how you arrived at a familiar destination after driving a route you've taken many times can be an example of this phenomenon.
What is dissociation?
Parents with unresolved trauma may unintentionally pass patterns to their children through behaviors such as being overly protective or instilling excessive amounts of this.
What are fear and anxiety?
Name two signs that someone may be triggered.
What are physical sensations, judging thoughts, difficulty paying attention, dissociation, defensiveness, repetitive thoughts, emotional outbursts, or sudden addictive behaviors?
A major goal of exploring trauma in the body is to become more aware of how we react to different situations and understand the “why” behind these reactions. What skill does this build?
What is self-awareness?
Shared mindfulness, quiet companionship, synchronized breathing, and creative projects are all examples of what type of exercises?
What are co-regulation exercises?
Name two symptoms of dissociation discussed in the curriculum.
What are emotional numbness, feeling detached, altered sense of time, out-of-body experiences, tunnel vision, intense flashbacks, becoming immobile, or not remembering how you got somewhere?
What is the first step in the curriculum's four-step cycle-breaking process?
What is identifying family patterns?
This DBT concept means completely recognizing and accepting reality as it is, even when that reality involves pain or discomfort.
What is radical acceptance?
True or False: Trauma responses are only psychological and do not involve physical or physiological reactions.
What is false?
According to the curriculum, safe and supportive relationships provide this, which can facilitate healing and growth after trauma has impacted the nervous system.
What is a foundation for trust and security?
True or False: The curriculum presents dissociation as something that is always harmful and means a person is “doomed.”
What is false? The group specifically explores whether dissociation is always bad and why understanding it is important.
After identifying family patterns, deep diving into the experience, and healing wounds, this fourth step involves learning new things and skills and engaging with others differently.
What is shifting to new patterns?
According to the curriculum, what is the first step in practicing radical acceptance?
What is observing that you are questioning or fighting reality?