Do you find yourself thinking about the same old negative crap day in and day out? Do you feel overtaken by feelings of dread, fear, or remorse? Do you wonder if you can ever break free from this vicious cycle you seem trapped in? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then your nervous system may be trapped by trauma.
Trauma in the Nervous System is a Fact of Modern Life
If you’re feeling triggered and upset by conditions in our present day living situation, then you are very much in the majority of people in our world. There is so much strife and division, as well as overall stress and strain on our world today, that it leaves many people’s nervous system’s traumatized. One leading clinician has gone so far as to call this the age of emotional dysregulation.
Trauma is a Normal Reaction by the Nervous System
We all come into the world with our nervous systems geared for connection and trust in others who will take care of us and support us in our maturation process. But inevitably things happen that will serve to undermine our trust and break connection with our caregivers and the world. Sometimes these are small incidents, but sometimes they are large and profound disruptions in our lives. These and other experiences of a similar nature serve to cause us to experience trauma, as well as to further embed it in our nervous system. This can lead to all kinds of mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Our reaction to trauma at the time that it happens is a very adaptive thing for that situation. The problem is that over time it serves to keep us chained to early patterns of reacting that don’t serve us as we mature into adults.
The Trauma Trap in the Nervous System Exposed
What winds up happening as we become adults is that we continue to see the present in the future as projections of the past. These projections often get put onto friends, spouses, coworkers, and bosses, among others. Once this happens, we are stuck in a kind of infinite loop like the one Bill Murray’s character was stuck in in the movie Groundhog Day. Every day can potentially become just a repetition of days before where there seems to be no way to break free of it. The world continues to go on spinning and things change around us, but we fail to notice how every moment is a unique experience all its own because our nervous systems are set on a cycle of ‘wash, rinse, and repeat.’
How to Escape the Trauma Trap and Reset the Nervous System
While much of the recovery work necessary for healing mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD are best handled in a therapy setting, there are a number of things you can do to help reset your nervous system. One of the quickest and most reliable ways to do this involves utilizing deep breathing, also known as vagal breathing. It involves breathing in deeply through the nose to the count of four, and holding the breath for at least two counts, and exhaling through the mouth to the count of at least four. When this is done for up to five minutes at a time, you are able to reset your nervous system back to a state of relative calm. There are other ways to accomplish this as well, such as spending time in nature, engaging in playful creativity, as I have discussed in my previous blog on trauma, as well as having meaningful connection with others. When you engage in these activities, you are going against the trauma trap that would lead you to isolate, draw inward, and further reinforce the infinite negative loop that perpetuates the cycle. There are many other ways to help reset your system, but it does rely on you identifying when you are being emotionally triggered and are in a state of emotional dysregulation. Once you have that degree of awareness you can engage with one or more of these practices.
What if Your Nervous System Continues to be Caught in the Trauma Trap?
I’ve been helping my clients for over 15 years to deal with their own experience of this. I can tell you from personal experience that you and your nervous system can recover from trauma, and I would be happy to talk with you if you live in Maryland or Virginia to find out about how I might be able to help you escape from your own trauma trap. I encourage you to fill out the form at the bottom of the page or call the number above at the top and I will get back to you ASAP to schedule a free 20 minute phone consult to find out about this. Life can be so much richer when each day is spent living free of a mental prison that you may have lived in for decades. Do what will help and serve you and your loved ones by getting the help that you need today!
Visit our page on trauma therapy to find out how Scott can help you in escaping from the trauma trap.
About the author: Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland. He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin, Texas. He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.