Rebuilding body trust after trauma involves gentle reconnection through mindfulness, grounding, and movement (like yoga) to notice sensations without judgment, coupled with self-compassion to recognize your body's survival efforts, and connecting with safe people for support, gradually teaching your nervous system it's safe to feel and be present again. It's about shifting from viewing your body as unsafe to a partner in healing, recognizing it worked hard to keep you alive.
The key is finding ways to release that stored trauma and chronic stress. Practices like somatic experiencing, yoga, and meditation can help regulate the nervous system and promote relaxation. By releasing trauma from the body, we can start to experience greater physical and emotional well-being.
How long will it take for these feelings to go away? It can take a few days, weeks or even months to recover from a traumatic event. If someone is still experiencing some distress after a month, but these feelings are improving slowly, they will probably get better and not need treatment.
Can I heal from childhood trauma without therapy? While professional support is recommended, self-healing strategies like mindfulness, journaling, creative expression, and physical practices can support recovery.
Having greater mental and emotional presence
Another term for it is mentalization, or 'holding mind in mind', whether yours or someone else's. People who are healing from trauma begin to have greater access and awareness of their inner lives, and what it feels like to be themselves across different experiences.
7 Clear Signs Your Body Is Releasing Stored Trauma
The five stages of trauma
While all traumas leave a profound mark on an individual's life, there's a different level of difficulty in recovering from what's called "complex trauma." Unlike single-incident traumas, complex trauma stems from repeated experiences of stressful and traumatic events, usually in environments where there's no escape.
It won't rid you of PTSD and your fears, but let your tears flow and you'll maybe feel a little better afterwards. 'Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain.
What Should I Not do When Recovering from Trauma?
The Trauma-Healing Diet
Most survivors exhibit immediate reactions, yet these typically resolve without severe long-term consequences. This is because most trauma survivors are highly resilient and develop appropriate coping strategies, including the use of social supports, to deal with the aftermath and effects of trauma.
Psychodynamic trauma therapy is a highly effective treatment that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying psychological causes of trauma. It works by exploring a patient's past experiences and their impact on their current behaviors and emotions.
Because our nervous system and brain can hold onto painful and traumatic events, chronic pain can be very real and present even after the physical injury has healed.
Comprehensive Guide to Trauma Release Exercises
One effective breathing technique is diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing. To practice this technique, find a comfortable seated position, place one hand on your abdomen, and take slow, deep breaths, allowing your belly to rise and fall with each breath.
Fatigue can develop because releasing trauma can be physically and emotionally exhausting. You may feel more tired as your mind works through complex emotions and memories. Additionally, the trauma release may involve physical sensations or movements that can be tiring.
A key sign of healing is your ability to feel emotions without being consumed by them. Where once sadness, anger, or fear might have triggered intense reactions, healing brings acceptance of these feelings without losing control. Growth allows you to observe your emotions with curiosity rather than judgment.
When we think of chiropractic care, we usually think of physical relief: back pain, headaches, tight muscles. But many people who receive regular chiropractic care report something deeper happening — a sense of emotional release, a lifting of stress, or even the surfacing of old memories during or after an adjustment.
Treatment for Unhealed Trauma
Common treatments for PTSD include trauma-informed therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Trauma-informed therapy can provide a supportive and gentle approach when you walk into your therapist's office.
“For trauma survivors, especially those who've experienced neglect or emotional invalidation, oversharing can feel like a fast-track to safety or intimacy — even if it bypasses healthy relationship pacing.” Figueroa adds that you might also overshare intimate details to avoid feeling rejected or unseen.
Most people recover naturally from trauma. But it can take time. If you're having symptoms for too long—or that are too intense—talk with your health care provider or a mental health professional. In times of crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit the emergency room.
Trauma dumping occurs when an individual shares their traumatic experiences without the recipient's consent, often at inappropriate times or places. This act can place undue emotional pressure on someone who may not be prepared or able to process such intense information.
Consolidation and Resolution. Consolidation and resolution is the final stage of trauma recovery, where your goal will be to work toward fully integrating your traumatic experiences into your personal narrative or life story and finding a sense of closure.
These 4 Cs are: Calm, Contain, Care, and Cope 2 Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care Page 10 34 (Table 2.3). These 4Cs emphasize key concepts in trauma-informed care and can serve as touchstones to guide immediate and sustained behavior change.
A Level V Trauma Center provides initial evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic capabilities and prepares patients for transfer to higher levels of care.