How Stress/Trauma Manifest in the Body
Stress has a significant impact on our body and brain, which can impact our physical and emotional wellbeing. Our nervous system is constantly gathering information within and around us in order to maintain safety and seek comfort.
Our nervous system, which is constantly gathering, processing, and sending out information within our bodies, is also in charge of monitoring natural body processes (breathing, digestion, body temperature, heart rate, etc.). This aids in regulation of our bodies.
The two primary systems within the nervous system are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems- let’s break that down.
The Sympathetic Nervous System:
FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE, FAWN response
This is our body orienting ourselves towards safety- we identify potential danger and our body responds
***Think of this as an alarm going off- indicating a need to respond to regulate the body and its response to stress.
The Parasympathetic nervous system:
REST AND DIGEST response
This is our body orienting ourselves towards comfort- we seek to calm ourselves to prevent becoming overworked
***Think of this as a parachute that has been released- bringing ourselves down from a heightened stress response
Chronic stress means our sympathetic nervous system is alarming us there is danger, yet our parachute is not released (our parasympathetic nervous system is not activated).
Without the release of the parachute, our bodies are working in overdrive in order to attempt to find a reprieve- this is why individuals are often “stuck” functioning in Fight/Flight/Freeze/Fawn.
Our stress response in our body can present itself in so many unique yet debilitating ways. It can take the form of chronic illness and chronic pain, a low immune system, constant fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, sleep disturbances, etc.
These difficulties make us feel as if we and our bodies are broken or dysfunctional, not to be trusted, and that we are a walking burden (to ourselves and others). These symptoms, while they may present stressors in our everyday lives, are actually signals to you that your system is working in overdrive.
That being said, individuals typically don’t know how to listen to the signals and messages that their bodies are trying to inform them of. Most of the time, we completely ignore our bodies and focus our energy externally.
In order to release pent up stress and trauma, it is vital that you can listen to your body’s signals and offer it a space to process what it has been holding onto/why it is responding as if a threat is present (even when you logically know there isn’t one).
In my next blog, I will share more information on how Brainspotting, a mind/body-based treatment process, can offer the ability to identify, process, and release what your body has held onto that is no longer serving you.