IS NOW
IS NOW
Trauma and PTSD Causes
Having a clear understanding of how trauma and PTSD happen in the body is the key to making successful treatment choices.
There is something big we need to understand about PTSD & trauma before we get serious about treatment and self-care. Trauma & PTSD are not just a psychological response to an event, but also a physical one!
When a person experiences a traumatic event, their body’s fight, flight or freeze response is activated. However, if this response is not fully completed and the reaction generated by the response is not released, it can become “stuck” in the body, leading to physical and psychological symptoms. These symptoms are caused by a hyperactive limbic system (the part of the brain responsible for fight/flight/freeze). Persistent trauma & PTSD symptoms are caused by a hyperactive fight/flight/freeze response that impacts the entire brain and body. Effective treatments and self-care tools for trauma and PTSD all hinge on this fundamental understanding.
Specific Causes Of Trauma and PTSD
Having a clear understanding of how trauma and PTSD happen in the body is the key to making successful treatment choices.
There is something big we need to understand about PTSD & trauma before we get serious about treatment and self-care. Trauma & PTSD are not just a psychological response to an event, but also a physical one!
When a person experiences a traumatic event, their body’s fight, flight or freeze response is activated. However, if this response is not fully completed and the reaction generated by the response is not released, it can become “stuck” in the body, leading to physical and psychological symptoms. These symptoms are caused by a hyperactive limbic system (the part of the brain responsible for fight/flight/freeze). Persistent trauma & PTSD symptoms are caused by a hyperactive fight/flight/freeze response that impacts the entire brain and body. Effective treatments and self-care tools for trauma and PTSD all hinge on this fundamental understanding.
Physical or Emotional Abuse Trauma
This can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect. These experiences can lead to feelings of fear, shame, guilt, and anger, which can manifest into symptoms of trauma.
Witnessing Traumatic Event Trauma
Observing or being a witness to a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, car accident, or violence, can lead to trauma. It is a part of the incredible complexity of human beings that we are so empathic that we can be traumatized by things that happen to others.
Relationship or Loss Trauma
This can include losing a loved one, divorce, or relationship conflicts, which can result in feelings of grief, loss, and abandonment. Many of life’s greatest challenges are presented by our most intimate relationships.
Childhood Long-term Trauma
Childhood experiences, such as a lack of attachment to a primary caregiver, neglect, or abuse, can impact the development of the brain and result in long-term trauma symptoms. Experts now believe that early childhood trauma (or lack thereof) is a key determinant of mental health.
Pregnancy or Birth Trauma
Psychological researchers well document that a large proportion of the population has unconscious and undiagnosed birth trauma. Birth can be an extremely stressful and physically ‘violent’ event for human babies.
Medical or Surgical Trauma
Medical procedures, such as surgery or a life-threatening illness, can lead to feelings of helplessness, fear, and anxiety. Many people go through acute sicknesses that leave them permanently traumatized. Suddenly being very sick is one of the most stressful things that can happen to someone.
Combat, War or Violence Trauma
Exposure to combat or war can result in physical injury, loss of a loved one, and exposure to violence and death, leading to trauma. The countless millions who die in human conflicts are the tip of an iceberg in some respects. Trauma is the largely untold story of the war in civilians and soldiers alike.
Professional or Workplace Trauma
Work takes up a very significant portion of our lives. For many of us, our jobs are profoundly intertwined with who we are as human beings. Sudden job losses, high-stress work dynamics and workplace bullying are all common causes of trauma.
The Full Scope Of Trauma and PTSD
Trauma and PTSD are the names we tend to give to the physical, mental and symptomatic residue left by Adverse Life Events ‘ALE’s’. We all know that PTSD is a term reserved for the effects of the most severe forms of trauma. Yet most of us still limit the use of the term ‘trauma’ itself to the big serious stuff.
Trauma experts, on the other hand, use the term trauma much more broadly. For them, trauma can be loosely defined as what is left behind any time a person’s coping mechanisms are overloaded, or any time we are overwhelmed and fail to fully process what has happened. A small child who is exposed to a big friendly, boisterous dog and gets knocked over can experience enough trauma to have a lifelong fear of dogs. Yet we often overlook the power these smaller stressful moments hold over many of us.
Some people have trauma symptoms because of a single massive ALE ‘Adverse Life Event’, like a car crash. Others have trauma symptoms because of a chronic persistent ALE, like living with a critical parent. Whilst others have trauma symptoms due to a series of smaller ALE’s, like losing their job and a parent dying within a short period. For those of us who really want to thrive, it’s vital to understand that these are all legitimate forms of trauma, which can all have lasting effects.
It can be useful to think of all this in terms of large ‘T’ trauma and small ‘t’ trauma.
Severn Clinics Supports Successful Holistic Care Of
Severn Clinics Supports Successful Holistic Care Of
FIBROMYALGIA
CHRONIC PAIN
DEPRESSION
ANXIETY
STRESS
OCD
PTSD
TRAUMA
INSOMNIA
ADD & ADHD
CHRONIC FATIGUE
MOOD DISORDERS
Online Consultation
Book an online consultation and get personalized advice from the comfort of your home. Our licensed practitioners are here to assess your concerns, provide expert diagnosis, and offer treatment recommendations—all through a secure virtual session.
Call or Text
027 508 8083
tobias@severnclinics.co.nz
Large ‘T’ trauma
Large ‘T’ trauma refers to traumatic experiences that are considered to be significant and impactful, often resulting in long-lasting effects on a person’s mental health. Large ‘T’ trauma typically refers to traumatic events that are severe, pervasive, and often involve a threat to one’s life or physical safety. Some common examples of Large ‘T’ traumas include:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Witnessing or being a victim of domestic violence or intimate partner violence
- Witnessing or being involved in a serious accident or natural disaster
- Surviving combat or military combat
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Being held captive or being a prisoner of war
- Being sexually or physically assaulted
Small 't' trauma
Small ‘t’ traumas are everyday events or experiences that can accumulate over time and contribute to the development of trauma symptoms. These events can range from minor incidents, such as being teased in school or experiencing a minor car accident, to more significant events, such as the loss of a loved one, financial stress, or relationship difficulties.
Small ‘t’ traumas can have a cumulative effect on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and feelings of being overwhelmed. They can also lead to the development of negative coping mechanisms and behaviours, such as substance abuse, avoidance, and self-harm.
It’s essential to note that trauma is a unique and personal experience for each individual. Trauma can result from a single traumatic event, or it can result from repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic situations. Understanding the causes of trauma can help individuals and mental health professionals address and treat the symptoms of trauma more effectively.
The Biology Of Trauma and PTSD
The key to understanding how to treat trauma and PTSD is understanding how it is really caused in the body.
There are virtually no mammals that have evolved without being exposed to predation. Therefore, us mammals are all equipped with hardware that is designed to prevent us from being eaten by other animals. When we go through traumatic events, it is inevitable (and often totally necessary) that this hardware gets activated. Yet, the chronic mental and physical symptoms that are sometimes left in the wake of traumatic events are a maladaptive response on the part of our survival hardware rather than a normal part of our nature. Most animals and a percentage of humans are able to consistently ‘shake off’ their trauma, and when they do, it does not cause lasting harm.
During traumatic events, the amygdala (part of the limbic system responsible for processing fear) triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause the physical changes associated with the fight or flight response, such as increased heart rate and respiration. This is designed to help us escape.
However, in some cases, the person may not be able to respond to the threat by fighting or running away, which can lead to a state of “freeze”. During this state, the person may feel paralyzed and unable to respond to the threat, and the body may respond by shutting down. This “freeze” response is thought to be a survival mechanism that allows animals to avoid further harm. Sometimes ‘freezing’ or ‘playing dead’ is your best bet when you are being targeted by a predator.
When the traumatic event is over, animals tend to shake vigorously or exert themselves physically to unlock the freeze reflex. Yet often in humans, this doesn’t happen, which can leave the limbic system permanently dysregulated, leading to a persistent state of hyper-arousal and fear. In humans, this can eventually lead to physical and mental symptoms, intrusive memories of the traumatic event, hypervigilance, anxiety, and negative changes in mood and cognition.
Put simply, chronic trauma and PTSD states are caused by a fight/flight/freeze system that got stuck in the ‘on’ position. This leaves the body and mind in a state of constant arousal, which can have catastrophic consequences for body, mind and soul.
But here is the great news. The hardware that is designed to ‘unlock’ these physical responses never goes away. It can easily be activated using modern tools, therapies and treatments used to manage trauma and PTSD. To learn more about trauma and PTSD treatment, please visit our trauma & PTSD treatment page.
Session Selection
Individual Session
A single session is perfect if you need a little mental relaxation during moments of heighten stress. Ideal to help combat the effects of, or prepare for a busy week.
Course Of Sessions
We recommend a course of sessions if you are looking at supporting a specific outcome. A course typically lasts five or ten weeks, where one or two light sessions per week can be scheduled.
This course protocol is then repeated every 2 to 3 months. Maintenance or relaxation sessions can be completed weekly or fortnightly during this more focused period; this is especially recommended if work or life stresses are significant.
Session Selection
Individual Session
A single session is perfect if you need a little mental relaxation during moments of heighten stress. Ideal to help combat the effects of, or prepare for a busy week.
Course Of Sessions
We recommend a course of sessions if you are looking at supporting a specific outcome. A course typically lasts five or ten weeks, where one or two light sessions per week can be scheduled.
This course protocol is then repeated every 2 to 3 months. Maintenance or relaxation sessions can be completed weekly or fortnightly during this more focused period; this is especially recommended if work or life stresses are significant.
Example Severn Clinics Sessions
No More Anxiety
Length: 30 minutes
Brian Bath
Length: 40 minutes
Return To Happiness
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Anxiety, Tension, Fear, and Stress Relief / Calm Awareness and Focus/Feelings of Well-being
Purpose: Cognitive Enhancement, Pain Reduction, Deep Trance State
Purpose: Mood Enhancing
Feeling: Gentle, Chilled, Sleepy, Peaceful, Calming, Enjoyable
Feeling: Gentle, Chilled, Sleepy, Peaceful, Calming, Enjoyable
Feeling: Gentle, Peaceful, Calming
Frequencies: 0.1Hz, SMR variable (13 -14 Hz)
Frequencies: 40Hz, 7.83Hz, 2Hz
Frequencies: Mixed SMR, Theta, and Medium Beta (plus matched isochronic tones)
Anxiety is probably the most prevalent challenge for people in modern times. Research shows that it’s not just an overabundance of higher brain waves that are more common in people with anxiety but a lack of coherence in the lower brain frequencies. This session is designed to help you retrain yourself into an idling state. The idling state is where you are ready to either take action or relax.
The intention of this session is to relax the brain to flush out toxins, stimulating the brain’s immunity system, and increase blood flow (oxygen/nutrient supply) to the brain. This natural process normally occurs each night if we are sleeping well and accessing those deeper sleep states. Brain Bath is a very gentle session, allowing you 40 minutes to focus on your breathing while your brain drifts off into a deeper meditative state. Due to the nature of the session, set to target the quieter brain frequencies, the colours, and patterns seen during this session are more muted. Leave you feeling relaxed.
Return to Happiness is a perfect pick me up. Feeling low can be all consuming and hard to break out of. This session is designed to help you break out of the habitual mindset of feeling low or depressed.
It’s great to use a session to get you feeling better temporarily. Better still though is to start to train your brain to be in the frequencies of mind that encourage happy moods. What shows in experience and research to be most effective in this goal is to encourage a brain state that is ready for action but relaxed – SMR or Low Beta. This session has a stable core of SMR with some moving Theta and Beta to further enhance the effects
Example Severn Clinics Sessions
No More Anxiety
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Anxiety, Tension, Fear, and Stress Relief / Calm Awareness and Focus/Feelings of Well-being
Feeling: Gentle, Chilled, Sleepy, Peaceful, Calming, Enjoyable
Frequencies: 0.1Hz, SMR variable (13 -14 Hz)
Anxiety is probably the most prevalent challenge for people in modern times. Research shows that it’s not just an overabundance of higher brain waves that are more common in people with anxiety but a lack of coherence in the lower brain frequencies. This session is designed to help you retrain yourself into an idling state. The idling state is where you are ready to either take action or relax.
Brain Bath
Length: 40 minutes
Purpose: Cognitive Enhancement, Pain Reduction, Deep Trance State
Feeling: Gentle, Chilled, Sleepy, Peaceful, Calming, Enjoyable
Frequencies: 40Hz, 7.83Hz, 2Hz
The intention of this session is to relax the brain to flush out toxins, stimulating the brain’s immunity system, and increase blood flow (oxygen/nutrient supply) to the brain. This natural process normally occurs each night if we are sleeping well and accessing those deeper sleep states. Brain Bath is a very gentle session, allowing you 40 minutes to focus on your breathing while your brain drifts off into a deeper meditative state. Due to the nature of the session, set to target the quieter brain frequencies, the colours, and patterns seen during this session are more muted. Leave you feeling relaxed.
Return To Happiness
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Mood Enhancing
Feeling: Gentle, Peaceful, Calming
Frequencies: Mixed SMR, Theta, and Medium Beta (plus matched isochronic tones)
Return to Happiness is a perfect pick me up. Feeling low can be all consuming and hard to break out of. This session is designed to help you break out of the habitual mindset of feeling low or depressed.
It’s great to use a session to get you feeling better temporarily. Better still though is to start to train your brain to be in the frequencies of mind that encourage happy moods. What shows in experience and research to be most effective in this goal is to encourage a brain state that is ready for action but relaxed – SMR or Low Beta. This session has a stable core of SMR with some moving Theta and Beta to further enhance the effects
Make A Booking
Please utilise our booking system for Wellington appointments by clicking the button below. For Wairarapa appointments, kindly use the appointment request form.