You Cannot Think Your Way Out of Trauma - and No, It Is Not Your Fault
Written by: Emily Ervin, MA, LMHC
Humans are complex beings. We exist in our environment every single day in a way that shapes our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The brain is the center of how all of that happens. The brain is constantly encoding, making connections, and developing perceptions of the world based on the things happening around us. This is great when we win that soccer game by scoring the winning goal in overtime and can feel how exciting it is, or when we welcome a little one into the world and are overcome with love for this child. Those are memories we cherish and don’t mind remembering. In fact, those are important to remember.
However, what happens when we cannot stop thinking about the abuse we experienced as a kiddo and notice our heart beating out of our chest? Or, what about when we are driving to work and feel our hands tense up on the steering wheel because a car accident we experienced three years ago? How about when we replay the negative comment from a loved one about our body, and instantly feel our shoulders tense up?
Those responses are not your fault. It can be easy to say, ‘I will just put it out of my mind and not think about it. It’s over.’ While we can try so hard to just stop thinking about it, the body remembers. Remember how the brain encodes all our experiences? The brain wants to protect us. If the brain can remember the situations where we were hurt and threatened, it can help us avoid those situations in the future. That is great…. until, we start to see the threat everywhere.
The good news is that healing is possible. It is mission critical to understand how the brain works and utilizing appropriate healing for trauma. You cannot think your way out of trauma. While we recognize this is a scaled back version without all the intricate details related to neurobiology…the bottom line is this: healing in the brain must take place from the bottom up.
Quick science lesson: At the bottom of the brain we have the reptilian brain that is responsible for basic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. This is the part of the brain that is focused on keeping us alive with all of the essential things that need to happen to do that. Next, we have the mammalian brain, also referred to as the limbic system that is responsible for emotions, memories, and emotional regulation. Then, we have the Neocortex that is responsible for logical thought.
When we experience a traumatic event, the brain is concerned about surviving. That reptilian brain kicks into high gear utilizing all the resources it has to protect the individual. We are not concerned with analyzing the situation for logic but more concerned with the body surviving by regulating heartbeat and respirations. The brain is still encoding, remember. Therefore, when the brain comes across a similar situation or experience, the body is going to remember even though a person may logically know they are not going to be hurt. As much as you may try to convince yourself you are safe using logic and emotional reasoning, the brain says, ‘Nope. We aren’t going through that again.’ That is why healing must start with safety in all forms of the word. The key is to help the brain understand you are not experiencing that trauma in the present day. You may be driving in your car, but you won’t necessarily experience another accident. You may be taking a walk by yourself, but that does not mean you will be assaulted. You may be eating a food with negative experiences, but that does not mean those experiences will happen.
Through the bottom-up approach to healing trauma the therapist aids the client in establishing a safe place, utilizing coping mechanisms when feeling triggered, and practicing self-regulation to allow the brain to understand it is not in danger. Therapists are catering to that reptilian brain to allow safety to be experienced. Once that is established, the person can start integrating emotions, thoughts, and bodily experiences.
While this is a broad overview of the process, the goal here is to allow yourself to have so much more self-compassion. You literally cannot think your way out of trauma. The brain wants to protect you. The body, brain, and emotions all have a place in the healing process. It takes time, understanding, and a safe team to walk with you through it. Healing is possible, it just takes more than thinking our way out of it.
Sources: Brickel, Robyn, (2019). Why a Bottom-Up Approach to Trauma Therapy is so Powerful. Brickle & Associates. Web.
