Exploring Mindfulness: A Healing Companion or a Trigger for Trauma?
I've recently begun to study the topic of trauma to gain a deeper understanding of what it is and how it plays out in our lives. My aim is that this enhanced knowledge will enable me to be a more effective Mindfulness Teacher and Life Coach.
Trauma is also a theme I cover in my book, ‘How did I get here?’: A guide to letting go of your past and living in alignment with your true self. However not in the detail I’d have liked to, perhaps something for my next book.
What is trauma?
Trauma is the emotional, psychological, or physical response to a distressing event that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope. It can have profound effects on mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Trauma comes in various forms, from physical and psychological trauma to complex trauma and PTSD. Symptoms include anxiety, depression, and difficulties in relationships. Understanding trauma is crucial for providing effective support.
In short, trauma is an adaptation. It is not the external event we experience but how we adapt to it in our body and mind.
Acute trauma is caused by a single catastrophic event, like a car accident, natural disaster such as an earthquake, violent assault, receiving a life-altering diagnosis, a sudden loss of a loved one or a terrorist attack. All these events can have immediate and lasting effects on an individual's mental and emotional well-being, often resulting in symptoms like shock, anxiety, depression, nightmares, and flashbacks.
Some research suggests that if we can allow the process of the traumatic event to naturally unfold without overwhelming us it enables the closure of the trauma loop, bringing it to a resolution. In contrast, an inability to do so leaves the trauma unresolved, and it lingers within the body. Strikingly, the body continues to react as if the traumatic event is ongoing, sustaining the associated mental and emotional distress. This persistent response may manifest as anger, stress, anxiety, and a range of other emotional and psychological issues. But the less well-known impacts of trauma are the physical ones, something Bessel van der Kolk writes about in his book ‘The body keeps the score.’
In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past. - Bessel van der Kolk.
Dr. Peter Levine, who has developed a model for understanding how trauma resides within the body, states that to achieve true closure, this held trauma must be released; otherwise, it seeks alternative avenues of expression. This aligns with the work of Bessel van der Kolk and gives us more evidence that unresolved trauma contributes if not causes many of our physical ailments.
Unresolved trauma is like an open loop - ready to be expressed whenever triggered.
In my experience working with individuals living with cancer, loss, or bereavement, I've frequently observed that mindfulness can pose challenges for them. This is likely because it redirects their attention to the traumatic experience, often indicating that the trauma loop remains open. While this might not be overtly evident in their daily lives, especially after recovery, it remains ready to resurface, particularly in response to triggers such as medical appointments or doctor visits.
What is the connection between mindfulness and trauma?
David Treleaven, a pioneering figure in the world of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness, points out that while mindfulness offers invaluable benefits to trauma survivors, such as enhancing body awareness, attention capacity, and emotional regulation—vital assets in the process of trauma recovery—it can also be harmful, especially when the instructor is not trauma sensitive.
Treleavan suggests that the solution lies in gaining an understanding of the potential pitfalls of mindfulness practice and developing specific skills for working with trauma. These skills are designed to assist individuals in self-regulation, effective trauma management, and accessing the positive aspects of mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness practices that can work with trauma include:
Mindful embodiment practices, fostering safety and self-trust.
Resourcing and resilience practices, bolstering self-regulation.
Self-compassion practices, addressing trauma-related shame.
Advanced adaptations to body scan practices.
Compassion is the foundation of Mindfulness Based Living, which is my main practice and something that I notice has a profound impact on people that are traumatised.
A practice that seems to work well is a self-regulating meditation attributed to Kristen Neff, called ‘soften, soothe, allow’. Here we guide participants through a slow acceptance of what is present, usually until it dissolves or becomes less overwhelming.
What inspired me to write this rather complicated piece?
Firstly, I am concerned about the increasing number of unqualified and untrained individuals teaching mindfulness, which can potentially do more harm than good.
Fortunately, in the UK, there is a movement towards regulation through the British Association of Mindfulness Approaches. They've introduced requirements for registered teachers to provide evidence of continuous professional development, to have regular supervision, and to complete at least one mostly silent retreat a year.
In essence, to teach mindfulness effectively, one must not only grasp the theory but also understand it deeply through their own personal practice. I would even argue to teach mindfulness it must be an integral part of your life.
The second reason for my writing this piece is to emphasise the importance of understanding how trauma impacts most of us.
It's unlikely that any of us will journey through life without encountering some form of trauma. Understanding this is essential for our well-being because as I say in my book, without awareness not much will change.
I’d like to leave you with is this:
Trauma is complex and affects us all to one degree or another.
Trauma is not the event; it is the adaption of the event or experience, which is personal to us all.
Trauma is like an open loop which sits in the body and can express itself in many forms, both emotionally and physically. It is now thought that trauma can cause physical illnesses.
To get help dealing with trauma make sure that you work with someone that is trauma sensitive, so that you are supported correctly, otherwise there is a danger that instead of helping they could be making it worse.
Further reading on this subject:
‘What happened to you?’ - Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey.
‘Trauma - Sensitive Mindfulness’ - David A. Treleaven.
If you have any questions about what I’ve covered above please feel free to contact me at anna@annazannides.com