As I sat and read 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery, I thought about the activity for the mind for this week. The author Babette Rothschild discusses the impact of trauma on the limbic system, the amygdala and the hippocampus which are two structures located midbrain (30). For so long, I did not understand why I remembered so much about my childhood, so many amazing and wonderful things, but my husband could recall very little. Having learned more in therapy, about how the brain and body store trauma, I had my suspicion that there was something more blocking those happy, pleasant moments from his life. He did too.
We thought that through some reworking, some rewiring, some rewriting we could end the hurt. Ultimately, this is where EMDR therapy helps, but as, I read, I began to understand more about what happens in the hippocampus during a traumatic event. Apparently, “ultra high level of stress hormones – necessary for the survival responses of flight, fight, or freeze -- stop the hippocampus from functioning properly” (Rothschild 31), so ultimately it appears to the hippocampus that the trauma never ended and this most often results in PTSD. Once we convince our brain that the trauma is ended and we are safe then our heart and body have a better chance of understanding that too.
So, today we are turning to God as we work to rewrite our trauma, to rewrite our hurt. To view the handout click here.
As you work to rewrite your story, you are working to retrain your brain, your hippocampus to know that you are safe now. You no longer need to live in fear. You can let go and be free. Open your arms wide and receive everything that is yours. Everything that you were meant to have in your life. Peace. Trust. Strength. Discipline. Hope. Joy. Love.
Have a beautiful night ya’ll!
All My Love,
Jen
To view the video supplement click here.
To view Asking for Help Day 2 click here.
To view the On Fire For Life series click here.
