“Trauma means wounds, and wounds can heal!”
“Trauma means wounds, and wounds can heal!”
The 5 hopeful things to know about trauma
October 24, 2022
by Ilonka Wloch Something quite hopeful is underway as far as the understanding, attitude, and treatment of trauma is concerned. This seemingly invisible revolution is shining a light on the root causes of pain and discontent faced by individuals and society collectively.
Positive News interviewed two leading experts in trauma work: Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, and Gabor Maté, featured in Wisdom of Trauma documentary. Their message is clear: healing from trauma is possible. Imagine the implications for ourselves and the world! _______________________________________________________________________
◼︎Shared by Bessel van der Kolk ◼︎Shared by Gabor Maté 
Trauma?
Trauma occurs when something happens, but the world seems to go on as if nothing happened. This can create a fundamental disconnection between oneself and others. Such a state can eventually eliminate one’s instinct of purpose.
No one is to blame
No one is to blame for their traumatic condition. We are all in this together. We all have adopted the best strategies tailored to our survival needs.
One impact of trauma is all the different mechanisms one develops in order not to feel the pain of what happened. Strategies such as: always being nice to gain others’ approval, being in denial (‘nothing ever happened to me’), or acting tough as protection from getting hurt. These are our normal human defenses from feeling the pain. They, unfortunately, can also keep us stuck. 
Trauma the secret
Even though few people escape some shadow of trauma, the world of medicine, justice, policy, and academia are slow to embrace the issue. Our society denies trauma since a lot of the economy is based on selling products in order to keep us from feeling pain. The public, fortunately, is starting to pay more attention to this issue.
How did we get there?
The majority of trauma happens at a very early age. According to Gordon Neufeld, the leading children's developmental psychologist, a child has four basic needs which, if disrupted, can have dire consequences.
Children’s needs: Secure Relationships (Attachment) Rest - from having to work on the relationship with caregivers Freedom to feel all the emotions (pleasure, rage). So that the relationship is not only available when the child is not angry Free play - activity without agenda or competition 
Healing is possible!
By helping people feel fully alive in the present rather than being stuck in the past, trauma can be healed. Language, however, has surprisingly little to do with healing because trauma lives in the nonverbal housekeeping part of the brain responsible for sleeping, eating, and arousal.
Fortunately, this part of the brain can be reached through body-centered modalities such as Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory work, or Trauma-Informed Yoga. Recovery is possible because trauma means wounds, and wounds can heal! Resources: Trauma Research Foundation The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk Somatic Experiencing ● Polyvagal Theory work ● Trauma-Informed Yoga Healing trauma through Neurofeedback This interviews took place at the Blue Spirit retreat center in Costa Rica.
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