How trauma gets stored in the body

Culturally, many people believe and accept that chronic pain is simply a part of life. Whether it manifests as digestive issues, migraines, or back pain, most people can relate to physical pain in a way that mental and emotional pain may be harder to access.

Have you ever considered that pain is a way your body tries to talk to you? Are you listening?

The very visceral sensations of trauma, stress or anxiety grab at our attention and simply cannot be ignored in the same way that painful memories can. So naturally, (in the infinite wisdom of our intelligent design) when we avoid stressful situations or find that we cannot face a previous trauma head-on, our body will compensate by creating a physical symptom or sensation as a way to say, “Hey, look here. Pay attention.” Or “Something’s not right. It’s time to slow down for a bit.”

Think about what it actually feels like when you experience stress or fear. Your body literally grips as a protective measure, preparing for ‘fight or flight.’ But what happens oftentimes, is that the body reacts outside of our conscious or thinking minds. So we don’t notice that the pain or discomfort is directly related to a memory, a stressor, a person or place.  Rather than the sensation offering us valuable biofeedback about our mental/emotional state, we are ignoring it. So we continually and subconsciously relive old stress that is just stuck in the body. 

This mind-body connection is the reason why talk therapy may not always ‘work’ in the way you hope it will. Our subconscious minds are intelligent enough to literally hide unbearable pain, trauma and grief within our body as a survival mechanism.

If you’re not paying very close attention during stressful situations, your subconscious will act as a shield, protecting you from further damage and tucking the stress into your tissues so that it can be dealt with later. The trick is knowing how to access the root cause of your pain. 

This is exactly where modalities like splankna or EMDR come in. Because your subconscious mind is designed to protect you, your conscious mind is often not even aware of what’s going on! You can think about it, talk about it and even journal about it all you want, but you may never get to the real root unless you can bypass the thinking mind.

EMDR acts as a shortcut, allowing your conscious mind to remain grounded and tricking your subconscious mind into feeling safe again. During an EMDR session, you will experience exploration of deep rooted beliefs towards yourself and the world around you compounded by years of reinforcing experiences. EMDR utilizes our bodies natural way of processing information and sensory input through bilateral stimulation. ‘Bilateral what?,’ you ask? Bilateral stimulation is utilized through guided eye movements from left to right, tapping an extremity from left to right or holding alternating buzzing handles. EMDR digs out the root of the problem or the “worst” part of your experiences and tells your body “hey, you don’t have to believe that about yourself and the world anymore.” 

Believe it or not, we experience life through a filter. EMDR is essentially the windshield wipers to your vision, wiping away the splattered bugs and bird poop you picked up in your travels. Clean your windshield, and see the view you are meant to see.