This 1997 book subtitled “The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences” is by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. I read this book quickly over three days and agree that it is ground-breaking. I now have a better understanding that effects of unresolved trauma include constant hyper-vigilance and the gnawing expectation of the worst possible outcome. This produces a constant flow of adrenaline (epinephrine) which leads to the clean-up hitter cortisol, two stress hormones chronically generated by the remnants of unresolved trauma.
Dr. Levine points out that there are THREE things on the menu: fight, flight and freeze. Many trauma-sufferers are frozen in “freeze,” never completely coming out of the unresolved trauma. This unresolved trauma might be an underlying factor in depression which is associated with chronic over-production of cortisol. Movement, particularly shaking, shivering, quaking, are ways to blow off the trauma. Dr. Levine says,
“Post-traumatic symptoms are, fundamentally, incomplete physiological responses suspended in fear. Reactions to life-threatening situations remain symptomatic until they are completed. Post-Traumatic stress is one example.”
In his TED talk below, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman says that what defines memories/stories are:
- changes
- emotionally significant moments
- endings
with endings being the most important factor in what constitutes memory. Happy endings typically yield happy memories, even if the event was difficult leading up to the happy ending. In “Waking the Tiger,” Dr. Levine’s therapy leverages this in his therapeutic practice which involves re-enacting the traumatic memory with the patient but changing the ending to a better outcome. You might notice in Dr. Kahneman’s TED talk about the difference between the left-brain “remembering self” and the right-brain “experiencing self.” This is the fundamental distinction made by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s in her “Stroke of Insight.”
Hi Anet. Coincidentally, I’ve just finished reading Waking The Tiger myself and found Dr Levine’s theory fascinating. If it’s true, unhealed trauma must be extremely widespread. It could explain some of my pre-chronic-fatigue symptoms: hypervigilance, self-consciousness, anxiety, fear of conflict, and migraines; as the result of my experience as a highly sensitive child around my parent’s turbulent relationship.
I certainly felt fearful a lot of the time as a child, and had no outlet for this anxious energy. Few people who know me as an adult would believe that I suffer from anxiety, because I’ve forced myself so hard to overcome it. That didn’t stop the panic attacks though. I’ve always tried to hide anxiety which I considered unmanly, and used to stop myself shaking when fearful; which turns out to be exactly the wrong thing to do. The book made me wonder if the thing I’ve always hated the most about myself, namely my anxiety around people, isn’t really part of me at all. Imagine how free I would feel if I wasn’t being re-triggered much of the time in social situations…
Experiencing the fear and allowing physical shaking, via somatic experiencing, is supposed to be the cure; but I’ve yet to try it with a practitioner and I can’t seem to bring it on myself. Have you had any luck triggering the shaking that lets the fear go?
Thanks for the heads-up about your post.
Cheers,
Graham
The anxiety around other people is really crippling. But I wasn’t always that way. In third grade I was happy, successful, and vice president of the class. Could talk with everyone… younger, older, no problem. I was calm and confident. Then my mother was released prematurely from the state mental hospital because my father lost his job and was being transferred out of that state, back to the location where he started. She struggled. She was pregnant with her seventh child and expected to take care of the other six, including me. It didn’t work out well. I am fighting my way back to my authentic self, the one I was separated from in that transition.
Dr. Levine’s theory is that trauma isn’t just mental, it’s physical. Certainly the injuries I sustained were physical. I would guess that yours were too. Dr. Levine talks about denial, “I was kidnapped a few months ago, but it wasn’t traumatic, it’s just that I’m so tired all of a sudden.” Trying to heal trauma that was both physical and psychological takes more than talk therapy. It requires physical release. I think the Yoga and breathing pranayama from your Art of Living class are excellent practices to release and purge the past. Did you read the book Dr. Levine recommended “Focusing” by Gendlin? It was recommended to me years ago by a Buddhist teacher. It teaches you how to grasp the “felt sense” in your body so that you can receive the wisdom from your body about what you need to heal.
I think the key to recovery may be about becoming more present in our bodies, more in touch with our physical feelings. Not just mentally present, but in touch profoundly with our animal natures. “Waking the Tiger” within.