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Theory spirals into reality, DNA unfolds our story
Trauma
Think of trauma as a song that leaves a lasting impression. In the past, people might have only focused on the song itself—the event or experience that caused distress. However, today we understand that trauma is more than just the song. It's also about how that song continues to affect you long after it's stopped playing.
For example, imagine hearing a song that reminds you of a difficult time in your life. The song itself might be the event, such as a breakup or a loss. But the lasting impact of that song—the emotions it stirs up, the memories it brings back—is what we now recognize as trauma. Like in this video where I suddenly experienced a massive trauma shaking.
Just like how certain songs can trigger strong emotions or memories, traumatic events can have a lasting impact on our mental and emotional well-being.
By understanding trauma as not just the event, but also the results or consequences of that event, we can better support those who have experienced it and help them find healing and recovery.
Photo by Aina Brønstad
Photo by Aina Brønstad
Intergenerational trauma
Dr. Rachel Yehuda started looking at families affected by big traumas, like the Holocaust. She noticed that kids and grandkids of survivors had some similar problems, even though they didn't go through the trauma themselves. This got her thinking about how trauma might affect future generations. She studied how this happens in our bodies and brains, which helped her come up with the idea of intergenerational trauma.
Intergenerational trauma is when the effects of a traumatic event are passed down through generations, like a sad song that keeps playing in a family's history.
In essence, intergenerational trauma shows how the pain and suffering of past generations can continue to influence and impact future generations, shaping their experiences and emotions, much like how the echoes of a powerful song linger long after it's stopped playing
Photo by Aina Brønstad
Autonomic nervous system
Just as individuals have varied responses to different types of music, the autonomic nervous system operates uniquely in each person.
The autonomic nervous system, like a symphony conductor, regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing.
Think of your body's autonomic nervous system like how different people enjoy different kinds of music. Some parts of this system make us feel energized, like when we listen to intense music like EDM or heavy metal. Other parts help us relax, like when we listen to calming music like ambient melodies or smooth jazz.
But just as some people may find relaxation in surprising music genres, our body's responses can vary from person to person. Even when facing stress, some people might activate their parasympathetic branch more quickly, allowing them to calm down faster.
Understanding our body's unique responses, as explained by the polyvagal theory, helps us find the 'music' that resonates with our relaxation needs and promotes overall well-being.
Oxidative stress
Imagine your body is like a musical instrument, constantly playing a tune to keep you healthy and energetic. But sometimes, it's like a key part of your instrument breaks, not just from regular use, but from a sudden and big hit.
This broken part is like oxidative stress in your body. It's not just wear and tear like an old guitar string getting rusty. It's more like when something important on your instrument suddenly breaks, causing a lot of trouble.
Just like how playing your instrument regularly keeps it in good condition, regular movement helps keep your body healthy and reduces the buildup of oxidative stress. So, whether it's a short walk, some gentle stretching, or a quick dance session, moving every day can help keep your body in tune and functioning at its best.
Neural pathways
Imagine your brain is like a playlist, and neural pathways are the tracks you often listen to. When you listen to a song on repeat, it becomes familiar, and you can easily remember the lyrics or melody.
Similarly, when you experience trauma, it's like a disruptive song suddenly playing on your playlist.
This traumatic event can cause disruptions in your brain's neural pathways, affecting how you think, feel, and remember things.
Just as discovering a new genre of music challenges your brain to create new pathways, trauma forces your brain to adapt and create new pathways to cope with the experience. At first, these new pathways may feel unfamiliar and overwhelming like trying to explore a new genre of music, say death metal.
As you listen more, your brain creates new pathways for that type of music, making it easier to appreciate and understand. So, just like discovering new tunes expands your musical repertoire, creating new neural pathways broadens your mental (not metal ;)) abilities and perspectives.
Polyvagal theory
According to the polyvagal theory, our nervous system has different 'tracks' for managing stress and calming down.
But just as some people may find relaxation in surprising music genres, our body's responses can vary from person to person. Even when facing stress, some individuals might activate their parasympathetic branch more quickly, allowing them to calm down faster.
How did this theory come to life?
As animals evolved into mammals, their nervous systems became more complex. One important part of this system is the vagus nerve, which helps control things like heart rate and digestion.
In early mammals, the vagus nerve helped with basic functions, like keeping the body running smoothly. But as mammals became more social and interacted with their environment in different ways, the vagus nerve changed too.
Dr. Stephen Porges noticed that in mammals, including humans, the vagus nerve has three parts. Each part does different things and helps the body respond to stress:
The oldest part is called the dorsal vagal complex. When something really scary happens, our brains have a built-in way to help us stay safe. It's called the freeze response, and it's like pressing a pause button on our bodies. We don't choose to do it—it just happens automatically.
Our brains do this to protect us when they think we're in big danger.
So, when you feel frozen or unable to move during a scary situation, it's not because you decided to do it. It's your brain's way of looking out for you and trying to keep you safe.
The sympathetic nervous system is another part that helps with the fight-or-flight response. It gets the body ready to run away or fight when something scary happens.
The newest part, called the ventral vagal complex, is all about social connections and feeling safe. It helps mammals interact with others and feel calm and secure.
Polyvagal theory is like having a guidebook for how our body's music works and helps us understand how our body's music responds to stress and being around people.
By knowing polyvagal theory, we can learn how to manage our body's music better. It's like being the boss of your own playlist, making sure it plays the right songs for feeling safe and connected.
