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Default May 08, 2019 at 09:32 AM
  #1
Hi...

In your experience, what does it mean to "process a trauma." I know this might sound like a silly question...

Is this when the T asks you how "activating" something is, and then you do EMDR or whatever therapy with it, then asks if the activation has gone down?

(Which never happens for me. I absolutely can't stand pain scales and things like that.)

I just started with a new trauma T and psych. I told him I felt fear of opening up pandora's box, as I have a lot in there. I always imagine "it" coming to life and swallowing me whole. The psych said, "You may not even need to feel the terror of the past. We just need to get you here in the present. Then you can decide if you want to process trauma."

And yesterday the T said since we are still in the getting to know you stage, that we will not "process any of the traumas" until there is safety, containment and permission.

What does it mean to you?

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Default May 08, 2019 at 11:04 AM
  #2
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Originally Posted by FearLess47 View Post
Hi...

In your experience, what does it mean to "process a trauma." I know this might sound like a silly question...

Is this when the T asks you how "activating" something is, and then you do EMDR or whatever therapy with it, then asks if the activation has gone down?

(Which never happens for me. I absolutely can't stand pain scales and things like that.)

I just started with a new trauma T and psych. I told him I felt fear of opening up pandora's box, as I have a lot in there. I always imagine "it" coming to life and swallowing me whole. The psych said, "You may not even need to feel the terror of the past. We just need to get you here in the present. Then you can decide if you want to process trauma."

And yesterday the T said since we are still in the getting to know you stage, that we will not "process any of the traumas" until there is safety, containment and permission.

What does it mean to you?

FearLess47
everyone processes their trauma events in different ways. some write about it, others do artwork and others do talk therapy, some do edmr and others do dbt, cbt and other kinds of things like taking a walk, yoga, meditation..

processing is just when a person is able to take a problem, think it through and solve any problem areas they have with that....

example I have a PTSD problem with nightmares. I process this by writing about it and figuring out why that nightmare bothers me. I have an anxiety problem. I process it by breathing, taking a walk, meditating.

think of it like how did you process using your computer, or finding psych central or figuring out how to post... you thought about it then you took things step by step and worked your way through all the different elements that it took to do those things.

what your therapist is saying according to your post is that you are both still getting to know each other so you wont be starting to talk about your trauma memories and such right now. later after you get to know each other you can decide if you want to talk about your trauma's.

therapy today isnt about making a person feel the pains of the past. its about stabilizing whats going on in the present. for people with dissociative disorders that means learning how to not dissociate... learning things like grounding, breathing, relaxing and working on not dissociating when you get triggered today this past week, tomorrow. it isnt about 20 years ago this that and the other thing happened to me.

if you really want to go back to the past and relive the past trauma and pain thats your decision later on. right now she wants to work on what problems you are having in your present daily life.

only you can decide whether it will do you any good to dig into and feel the pain of the past.

for me I did want to nor did I have to dig into the pain and trauma. just dealing with my daily life and stabilizing my daily life, learning to recognize my dissociation symptoms and how to use my grounding, breathing and relaxation techniques enabled me to stay present / not dissociated which in turn healed me from having DID.

times have changed and with it therapy for DID.. its no longer the stuff you see in those movies and sensationalized books. they dont hypnotize, nor require you to rehash traumas over and over again (unless you bring it up and you want to cause your self to go through that pain and trauma)

therapy for dissociative disorders its more oriented to healing instead of causing more trauma and pain to happen. the focus is on learning ..........not..........dissociate when encountering triggers. learning how to do self care/ self nurture and manage your life while fully focused/ aware/ mindful. and not acting out in negative ways that affect your life in negative ways.

many USA states have ethics laws now against those old treatment tactics of requiring clients to dissociate, go through their past trauma's or calling out alters. many states and mental health agencies have mental health laws and ethics that require treatment providers to work with dissociative people in a non traumatic, non dissociative promote staying focused and aware kind of work and only dig into the trauma's .........After....... the client has the ability to stay aware and not dissociate while working on the trauma and actively participate while fully aware/ non dissociated. (this is supposed to promote a faster healing process and limit those that may be the kind of person to dissociate for attention or sabotaging their treatment plans.)

my point is your treatment provider is making sure you have everything you need for a stable life today before dealing with the past.
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Default May 09, 2019 at 04:27 PM
  #3
I am in the phase of processing with my therapist. We were working for about two years in creating a new meaning to my traumas.
Because of some limitation, I am having at the moment I will share this article as a way to explain what process means to me.

"Talking vs. Processing".

Source: Talking vs. Processing in Trauma Therapy | Dr. Kathleen Young: Treating Trauma in Tucson

To me, processing requires first having established a therapeutic alliance, meaning you feel connected and reasonably trusting. This allows for a corrective emotional experience: when connected you are open to noticing the therapist’s reaction to what you share and how it differs from your fears or the reactions of those in the past.

Processing also requires the capacity to be and stay present in the moment. Talking while dissociated prevents you from experiencing something new. Those with dissociative disorders have survived by keeping the traumatic knowledge, emotion and bodily sensations separate. You may even experience traumatic events as having happened to someone else, not you! Processing your trauma means experiencing it as yours. It involves holding all these aspects of the experience together.

Thirdly, processing involves an integration of experience that is a step towards creating meaning (a goal of the third phase of trauma treatment). For example, in EMDR, we talk about processing as holding an image of a traumatic experience, the associated feelings and bodily sensations together with the core negative belief about yourself created by this experience. The idea is that this can change the brain, the stuckness of the traumatic material, allowing for new learning to take place.
Kathleen Young, Psy.D.

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Last edited by hope2010; May 09, 2019 at 04:47 PM..
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Default May 09, 2019 at 04:42 PM
  #4
I practice "Grounding" with my Therapist.

I believe all my traumas are not suppressed. They are so real to me, I remember all of them. In my case what I need is to let them go. Acceptance is my goal.
When something triggers me, I need to remember to be present, to be grounded.

This article explains so much better than I can at the moment. I am in a phase where just try to put one though with another seems impossible. It is something call chemo - brain. Goes and come back. It is what it is, I accepted it. Then I make the decision to participate in your post even though I am having chemo - brain.

How does someone with automatic survival skills of dissociation learn to do this? Grounding is one skill that can help.[[/I]

Source: Staying Present During Trauma Therapy: Grounding Techniques | Dr. Kathleen Young: Treating Trauma in Tucson

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Default May 09, 2019 at 08:23 PM
  #5
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Originally Posted by amandalouise View Post
everyone processes their trauma events in different ways. some write about it, others do artwork and others do talk therapy, some do edmr and others do dbt, cbt and other kinds of things like taking a walk, yoga, meditation..

processing is just when a person is able to take a problem, think it through and solve any problem areas they have with that....

example I have a PTSD problem with nightmares. I process this by writing about it and figuring out why that nightmare bothers me. I have an anxiety problem. I process it by breathing, taking a walk, meditating.

think of it like how did you process using your computer, or finding psych central or figuring out how to post... you thought about it then you took things step by step and worked your way through all the different elements that it took to do those things.

what your therapist is saying according to your post is that you are both still getting to know each other so you wont be starting to talk about your trauma memories and such right now. later after you get to know each other you can decide if you want to talk about your trauma's.

therapy today isnt about making a person feel the pains of the past. its about stabilizing whats going on in the present. for people with dissociative disorders that means learning how to not dissociate... learning things like grounding, breathing, relaxing and working on not dissociating when you get triggered today this past week, tomorrow. it isnt about 20 years ago this that and the other thing happened to me.

if you really want to go back to the past and relive the past trauma and pain thats your decision later on. right now she wants to work on what problems you are having in your present daily life.

only you can decide whether it will do you any good to dig into and feel the pain of the past.

for me I did want to nor did I have to dig into the pain and trauma. just dealing with my daily life and stabilizing my daily life, learning to recognize my dissociation symptoms and how to use my grounding, breathing and relaxation techniques enabled me to stay present / not dissociated which in turn healed me from having DID.

times have changed and with it therapy for DID.. its no longer the stuff you see in those movies and sensationalized books. they dont hypnotize, nor require you to rehash traumas over and over again (unless you bring it up and you want to cause your self to go through that pain and trauma)

therapy for dissociative disorders its more oriented to healing instead of causing more trauma and pain to happen. the focus is on learning ..........not..........dissociate when encountering triggers. learning how to do self care/ self nurture and manage your life while fully focused/ aware/ mindful. and not acting out in negative ways that affect your life in negative ways.

many USA states have ethics laws now against those old treatment tactics of requiring clients to dissociate, go through their past trauma's or calling out alters. many states and mental health agencies have mental health laws and ethics that require treatment providers to work with dissociative people in a non traumatic, non dissociative promote staying focused and aware kind of work and only dig into the trauma's .........After....... the client has the ability to stay aware and not dissociate while working on the trauma and actively participate while fully aware/ non dissociated. (this is supposed to promote a faster healing process and limit those that may be the kind of person to dissociate for attention or sabotaging their treatment plans.)

my point is your treatment provider is making sure you have everything you need for a stable life today before dealing with the past.
@amandalouise - This is the most helpful thing in the world to me right now. It makes so much sense, then, why my new psych and therapist both mentioned it is not necessary to "go back and feel X,YZ." It was such a a relief.

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I think it is because I had a very rocky and scary experience with my first EMDR "trauma" therapist. It was almost as though she wanted me to "go back" and "find the event" or source of when the things happened, and to talk about how it felt in my body at that time. I would completely tumble backwards into dissociation, so badly, that it was overwhelming and now that I look back (and process it, ha ha) I understand that that was traumatizing trauma therapy. EMDR, Touching techniques and things. I didn't know how to say no...and I thought it was what I had to do to get the stuff out.

One more interesting thing...since I am also having many physical challenges involving spine surgeries, pelvic pain, bladder issues, etc... I often get scared that my body is throwing in all these red alerts to divert me from going back to all those traumas. Like "DON'T LOOK THERE. YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT." In my mind I was blaming myself, for having physical issues on top of the dissociative ones, thinking I was too wimpy to process my trauma.

But my new T said, let's reframe that. What if...your body is attempting to keep you in the here and now, to deal with today, to heal and pay attention today...and to NOT go back and put myself through hell.

Thank you once again for your willingness to share.

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Default May 09, 2019 at 08:31 PM
  #6
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Originally Posted by hope2010 View Post
I practice "Grounding" with my Therapist.

I believe all my traumas are not suppressed. They are so real to me, I remember all of them. In my case what I need is to let them go. Acceptance is my goal.
When something triggers me, I need to remember to be present, to be grounded.

This article explains so much better than I can at the moment. I am in a phase where just try to put one though with another seems impossible. It is something call chemo - brain. Goes and come back. It is what it is, I accepted it. Then I make the decision to participate in your post even though I am having chemo - brain.

How does someone with automatic survival skills of dissociation learn to do this? Grounding is one skill that can help.[[/I]

Source: Staying Present During Trauma Therapy: Grounding Techniques | Dr. Kathleen Young: Treating Trauma in Tucson
@hope2010... Seeing you here made me eyes leak a little bit. With joy.

Thank you for challenging the chemo brain and sharing these awesome articles!! This, too, makes so much sense.

I think what is being revealed to me recently is just how crappy my therapy experiences have been in the past. I am so incredibly grateful to have a qualified and compassionate "team" of professionals helping me now...and to have made connections with you guys.


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Default May 10, 2019 at 01:29 AM
  #7
Fearless, you truly can fear the process less now because the understanding about healing from trauma has completely changed the focus of trauma therapy nowadays. I too had some bad experience in therapy from years ago where "processing the trauma" looked like becoming completely dissociated and destabilized in pursuit of a healing that never came. Trauma is not healed by re-experiencing it, but by staying within the window of tolerance with one foot firmly anchored in the present at all times. The first aim of trauma therapy is all about grounding, forming an alliance with the therapist, and developing skills for staying within the window of tolerance. It is ONLY when those conditions are met that it is safe to begin to look at the trauma. Transforming trauma can only occur when you can stay in the present.

I have been with my current trauma T for nearly two years... she still says I am not ready for trauma processing. When triggers come up (multiple times per session) we are still all about grounding and containment. A week or so ago we (ourselves) pushed too hard on trying to figure something out and went into complete shut down. This weeks session was all about grounding again.
My T says "if you're getting lost in the trauma then we're doing it wrong." As slow as it is, I do find this is a MUCH better way of doing therapy than my experience of years ago.

Here is a free webinar you can watch. It's aimed at therapists, but I am getting a things out of it. It's just basic strategies for trauma therapists. Unfortunately there is only 1 seminar left, but you might find it useful. I have watched all of them. Treating Trauma Master Series - 5 Part Series on the Treatment of Trauma
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Default May 10, 2019 at 12:22 PM
  #8
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Originally Posted by Amyjay View Post
Fearless, you truly can fear the process less now because the understanding about healing from trauma has completely changed the focus of trauma therapy nowadays. I too had some bad experience in therapy from years ago where "processing the trauma" looked like becoming completely dissociated and destabilized in pursuit of a healing that never came. Trauma is not healed by re-experiencing it, but by staying within the window of tolerance with one foot firmly anchored in the present at all times. The first aim of trauma therapy is all about grounding, forming an alliance with the therapist, and developing skills for staying within the window of tolerance. It is ONLY when those conditions are met that it is safe to begin to look at the trauma. Transforming trauma can only occur when you can stay in the present.

I have been with my current trauma T for nearly two years... she still says I am not ready for trauma processing. When triggers come up (multiple times per session) we are still all about grounding and containment. A week or so ago we (ourselves) pushed too hard on trying to figure something out and went into complete shut down. This weeks session was all about grounding again.
My T says "if you're getting lost in the trauma then we're doing it wrong." As slow as it is, I do find this is a MUCH better way of doing therapy than my experience of years ago.

Here is a free webinar you can watch. It's aimed at therapists, but I am getting a things out of it. It's just basic strategies for trauma therapists. Unfortunately there is only 1 seminar left, but you might find it useful. I have watched all of them. Treating Trauma Master Series - 5 Part Series on the Treatment of Trauma
Aaaahhh, amyjay. Thank you for this. (And for saying I could Fear Less )Makes sense. At my last session with T I asked her if she wanted a copy of the "list" of trauma I had given to my last trauma T. She said no...not unless I consulted with all of my inner Team and it felt like a good idea for ALL. I didn't get it at first, thinking, well isn't this the crap we'll have to "process" one by one? After a day passed, I started to understand that it is not important at this time...and that parts of me did NOT want to hand over my innards on a platter.

And now you guys have helped solidify for me why...

This is such an important message for anyone who has had a bad experience and who now avoids this kind of therapy work.

Happy Friday, all.

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Default May 19, 2019 at 10:02 AM
  #9
Steps that are helpful for me

1. An affirming statement such as "Your not alone".

2. If for body memories right after them, can I read can I function normally with continuity for each area of the home, community, at work ectera.

3. After that then doing that at each and every occurrence where there is reoccurrence year after year keeping in mind that suffering is usually long term for the adult survivors. Also with presence mind think it usually does remain not just the past has to be remembered.

4. Reframing is common rescripting especially if mostly for repression.

5. There is a wealth of knowledge and extension guidance at google . I would suggest indulge with cognition sensory motor and few other things that affect the brain. Remember sometimes it stays unresolved acceptance is the key to managing.
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