#sovereignrelating

[phoenyx13]

When we feel threatened, provoked, triggered, or stressed, we may notice that we tend to have one or more of these tendencies. It's our nervous system's natural survival strategy when faced with something overwhelming. When we encounter a tiger, our nervous system prepares us for these reactions without needing any conscious thought or analysis. Once the tiger is no longer a threat, our system can relax and we can think clearly again.

These days, we're not very likely to encounter tigers, but instead, many of us are faced with unprecedented and prolonged exposure to stress. We can feel constantly overwhelmed and under-resourced to deal with powerful and invisible threats like viruses, unemployment, terrorism, crime, environmental crises, etc. When that happens, we can be living in a state of trauma response; and instead of it being life-saving (as with a tiger), it can totally deplete our vitality — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Luckily, there are many successful trauma recovery therapies that can help us learn how to self-regulate and be a supportive co-regulator for our loved ones.

One very successful approach is mindfulness — training yourself to come back to the present moment, to notice and accept thoughts and stories without identifying with them. There are many highly-rated books and popular videos on how to do this (it's simple, but not always easy! One must be patient and remember that it gets easier with practice).

Other recommendations include hypnotherapy, somatic therapies, yoga, and acupuncture.

Some traditional trauma-informed talk therapies include:

CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy)

CPTC

EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

Play / Expressive Therapy

PE (Prolonged Exposure)

Seeking Safety

TFCBTC (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

The best way to choose a method well-suited to you is to get clear on what you need most right now. Do you feel like you need to tell your story? Do you want to avoid telling your story? Do you need some basic coping mechanisms for specific situations or relationships? Do you need a nervous system reset?

What are some other successful practices and approaches for regulating trauma responses and trauma recovery? Please offer suggestions in the comments!