The 7 SURPRISING Ways To Heal Trauma WITHOUT MEDICATION | Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

Dr Rangan Chatterjee・2 minutes read

Trauma can lead to intense emotional reactions, causing individuals to react strongly to minor issues, blaming external factors at first before realizing it's their own reactions. Fibromyalgia is often linked to trauma, with treatment involving a holistic approach and exploring different therapies, stressing the importance of human connection and support in trauma recovery.

Insights

Trauma can lead individuals to react strongly to minor issues, feeling scared, angry, or panicky, often blaming external factors initially, but realizing their own reactions cause difficulty later on.
Fibromyalgia, linked to trauma, is often dismissed by medical professionals due to its complexity, requiring a holistic approach like body-oriented therapy and alternative treatments such as yoga or acupuncture.
EMDR therapy, challenging traditional Western medical paradigms, has a success rate of up to 60% in trauma cases by altering memory processing and reducing emotional overwhelm through activating specific brain circuits.

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Summary

00:00

Understanding Trauma: Reactions, Recovery, and Support

Trauma can lead to feeling out of control due to intense emotional reactions after a traumatic event.
Trauma causes individuals to react strongly to minor issues, feeling scared, angry, aroused, or panicky.
People often blame external factors for their emotional reactions, but eventually realize it's their own reactions causing difficulty.
Trauma can lead individuals to shut down emotionally, distancing themselves from others.
Stress ends once the stressful event is over, allowing the body to reset, unlike trauma where reactions persist.
Trauma changes the nervous system, causing individuals to react intensely to minor issues.
Trauma is common, with many experiencing abuse, violence, or assault, contrary to initial beliefs about PTSD.
Shame and secrecy often accompany trauma, hindering individuals from seeking help or sharing their experiences.
Factors influencing how individuals respond to trauma include temperament and social support.
Human connection and support play a significant role in helping individuals cope with trauma and recover.

18:47

Healing Trauma: Holistic Approaches for Fibromyalgia

The title "The Body Keeps the Score" is not just a catchy phrase; it impacts the immune system and stress responses, especially in individuals with long-term trauma histories.
Fibromyalgia, a complex and debilitating illness often related to trauma, is sometimes dismissed by medical professionals due to its complexity.
Medicine can be condescending towards conditions like fibromyalgia that don't fit into neat treatment boxes, leading to frustration and powerlessness among doctors.
Fibromyalgia is often linked to trauma, with severe trauma histories affecting the attachment system and sense of safety, leading to physical manifestations like anxiety and fibromyalgia symptoms.
Treatment for fibromyalgia involves a holistic approach, including body-oriented therapy, massages, and working with bodily reactions, which may not align with traditional medical interventions.
Patients with fibromyalgia may benefit from a multi-pronged approach, including exploring different therapies like yoga, Tai Chi, or acupuncture to address trauma-related symptoms.
Healthcare professionals may unintentionally re-traumatize patients with trauma histories due to a lack of understanding, time, and resources, leading to patients feeling lost and seeking alternative solutions.
The body's physical response to trauma, like gut-wrenching sensations, can be alleviated through practices like yoga, Qigong, or martial arts, which help individuals connect with their bodies and breath to calm the stress response system.
Treatment for trauma involves finding ways to become calm and focused, maintain calm in triggering situations, be present in daily life, and avoid keeping secrets from oneself, with practices like yoga aiding in achieving these goals.
Many individuals with trauma histories have learned to disconnect from their feelings, and practices like yoga can help them reconnect with their bodies and experience calmness, which may be unfamiliar to them due to past emotional suppression.

35:03

Healing Trauma Through Movement and Yoga

Trauma can lead to shutting down emotions, affecting pleasure and enjoyment.
Recovery from trauma involves opening up self-experience pathways with gentle guidance.
A study on yoga and PTSD showed reduced PTSD scores after 8-12 weeks.
Yoga helps in brain linkages related to self-experience and sensory experience.
Engaging with the body through yoga is beneficial but not a definitive solution.
Different therapies work differently for individuals; evidence is crucial for effectiveness.
Movement is vital in trauma recovery, as it helps in activating fight-flight responses.
In natural disasters, coming together and helping others aids in trauma processing.
Stress response prepares the body to move, but lack of movement can lead to stuck stress energy.
Movement and exercise are essential for mental and physical health, aiding in expressing full potential as humans.

51:33

Unconventional Therapies: Challenges, Effectiveness, and Acceptance

Research is essential to make methods evidence-based, but funding for studies on certain therapies like Tango or choral singing may be challenging to obtain.
Open-mindedness towards unconventional therapies like Equine Therapy is crucial, with a focus on studying various methods to determine their effectiveness.
The stigma around non-traditional therapies like theater or yoga in medical circles can hinder their acceptance and research funding.
Academic respectability and financial support can be limited for researchers exploring unconventional therapies, leading to criticism and skepticism.
EMDR therapy involves recalling distressing memories while following eye movements, showing significant brain changes and effectiveness in trauma treatment.
EMDR therapy aims to neutralize traumatic memories, reducing triggers and physiological arousal associated with past events.
EMDR therapy's success rate in trauma cases can reach 60%, challenging traditional Western medical paradigms.
EMDR therapy works by activating specific brain circuits, altering memory processing to reduce emotional overwhelm and reframe traumatic experiences.
EMDR therapy is best done with a therapist to address shame and disconnection, emphasizing the importance of human connection in trauma recovery.
Group settings, like yoga classes or psychedelic therapy sessions, can enhance healing by fostering a sense of community and shared experiences, combating emotional isolation.

01:07:46

Enhancing Brain Function Through Neurofeedback Therapy

Neurofeedback is a therapy method involving placing electrodes on the skull to capture brain activity.
This technology allows for mapping brain activity on a computer screen to identify active and inactive brain regions.
Quantitative EEGs can reveal serious brain disconnections, which can be addressed through neurofeedback.
By playing computer games with brain waves, individuals can train their brains to form beneficial connections.
Neurofeedback aims to organize the brain rather than treat trauma, benefiting those with depression, anxiety, and stress.
Studies have shown neurofeedback's effectiveness in calming hyperactive brains, aiding focus and learning.
The method involves providing sensory feedback through sounds and images to encourage desired brain connections.
Neurofeedback is seen as a powerful tool for harmonizing brain function and should be more widely utilized.
Psychedelic therapy, including substances like ketamine and MDMA, is being studied for trauma treatment.
Careful attention to setting and relationships is crucial to prevent potential harm from powerful substances like psychedelics.

01:24:21

Healing Trauma Through Connection and Creativity

Trauma and traumatic experiences can cause significant problems for individuals, but it's crucial to recognize that people generally do the best they can to survive such experiences, even resorting to extreme measures like addiction. Being punitive or harsh towards those who have gone through trauma is not helpful; instead, it's essential to understand the potential damage we can inflict on each other and the importance of connection and empathy in healing.
Despite the immense pain and suffering trauma brings, there can be positive outcomes, such as the creation of beautiful art, music, or literature that brings joy to many. Traumatized individuals often find innovative ways to cope with unbearable situations, leading to groundbreaking discoveries or creations, as seen in examples like Isaac Newton and JK Rowling.
For individuals feeling stuck or hopeless, it's essential to explore different avenues for healing and growth, such as yoga, singing in a choir, or engaging in activities that bring a sense of safety, pleasure, and connection. By revisiting past coping mechanisms and finding what works, individuals can rediscover their resilience and potential for a better future.
Addiction, as a means of seeking relief from emotional pain, is a common human experience, often fueled by societal pressures to fill emotional voids with temporary solutions. Recognizing this societal dynamic is crucial in understanding the prevalence of addiction and the importance of addressing underlying emotional needs.

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