​Understanding Trauma

​

When we survive a terrifying experience, our mind automatically and permanently stores ('encodes') a complete 'snapshot' of what's happening around us and inside us at that moment. If our senses ever detect anything that matches a single detail of that snapshot, a cascade of neurochemicals 'woosh' through our body preparing us to fight a possible threat, scare it off, run for our lives, go numb or even collapse to avoid suffering.

You might know this 'woosh' as panic, fear, fury, anxiety, or becoming rooted to the spot. You may also recognise the physical signs - a thumping heart, churning stomach, sweaty palms, hyper-vigilance, sudden tears, an urge to lash out or even feeling you have left your body.

​

Our ancestors would probably have returned to a calm resting state as soon as danger had passed. The neurochemicals responsible for this change woud be Unfortunately as our imaginations have developed, our bodies haven't learned to distinguish between real external threats and our own fearful thoughts. Once we are traumatised our thoughts keep us there, so we are unable to calm our minds or recover our physical sense of safety.

How Havening Works

 

In some circumstances you may have no idea of the original experience behind your present trauma, because the memory is too distressing to allow into awareness, or because it occurred in very early life. We are especially helpless and vulnerable, and even minor episodes of being separated, hurt or uncared for may be traumatically encoded.​

Some trauma reactions seem to be present from birth, and can form the basis for phobias - for example fears of falling, being trapped, or caught out in the open. In very early life we are especially helpless and vulnerable, and even minor brief episodes of being separated, hurt or uncared for may be traumatically encoded.​

 

 the more we sense that our environment is unsafe, making us more vulnerable to being traumatised again by future events. Because of this, it is possible to become stuck in a chronically traumatised condition, which has a long term negative impact on our body chemistry, overall health and sense of wellbeing.

​

​