Trauma & The Skin
What is the skin?
This organ acts as the body’s first boundary between the self and the outside world
What is muscle tension?
Trauma often causes this automatic muscle response associated with fight or flight
What is the felt sense?
Bodily sense of an experience rather than thoughts about it
What is somatic experiencing?
It’s a trauma therapy that emphasizes bottom-up processing through bodily awarness
What is hypersensitivity to touch?
Its a common skin response that might occur due to nervous system hyperarousal
What is chronic muscular holding?
This happens when muscles remain tight long after the traumatic threat has passed
Yes
What is yoga?
What is dissociation or shutdown?
Trauma survivors may feel numbness or lack of sensation in the skin, a responge that is linked to this survival state
What is the freeze response?
This trauma response involves immobility, collapsed posture, or reduced muscle tone
Name 1 way of healing through the felt sense?
Gently noticing sensations without forcing change, allowing sensations to shift naturally, or build self-trust and nervous system regulation
What is grounding?
This practice involves orienting to the present moment through sight, sound, and bodily cues
What are some stress-induced conditions?
Outbreaks of hives, eczema, acne and rosacea
What is somatic memory?
Trauma stored in muscles may result in headaches, jaw clenching, or back pain due to this condition
Does trauma effect felt sense?
Yes
Bottom-up
What is deep pressure input?
Practices like weighted blankets or self hugging support trauma healing by enhancing this felt experience of safety in the skin
What is survival or autonomic energy?
Shaking, stretching, or slow movement can help muscles release trauma by discharging this stored energy
Trauma is not only a memory, what is it?
It’s a physiological experience
Why does body based healing matter?
Trauma is experiences somatically, talking along may not reach stored trauma or etc.