Handout from March 11th meeting

COPING WITH TRAUMA

“Our bodies are inlaid with hundreds of experiences of how we have been handled and held, soothed or intruded upon, touched or neglected, in stillness or bombardment and for rougher or smoother.”
Sarah Jack, The Centre for Attachment Based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for the 2003 John Bowlby Memorial Conference on “Touch, Attachment and the Body”.
“When people go into the traumatic reliving, their capacity to talk, or articulate their feelings is sharply decreased. The person feels that they are being traumatised all over again, without being able to analyse that the experience belongs to the past and not the present.”
Besel A. van der Kolk (2005) Developmental Trauma Disorder. Towards a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories.

HELPFUL COPING STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH TRAUMA

An excerpt from: http://www.traumacenter.org/

mobilize a support system – reach out and connect with others, especially those who may have shared the stressful event
talk about the traumatic experience with empathic listeners
cry
hard exercise like jogging, aerobics, bicycling, walking
relaxation exercise like yoga, stretching, massage; listening to relaxing guided imagery;
progressive deep muscle relaxation
humour
prayer and/or meditation
hot baths
music and art
maintain balanced diet and sleep cycle as much as possible
avoid over-using stimulants like caffeine, sugar, or nicotine
commitment to something personally meaningful and important every day
hug those you love, pets included
proactive responses toward personal and community safety – organize or do something socially active
write about your experience – in detail, just for yourself or to share with others
People are usually surprised that reactions to trauma can last longer than they expected.

(COMMON RESPONSES TO TRAUMA – AND COPING
STRATEGIES © 1989, 2001, 2003 Patti Levin, LICSW, PsyD)

Next Soul Brothers Dates
Thursday May 21st
Monday July 20th

Nicholas Vesey, 12/03/2009