Thursday, February 14, 2019

PTSD And Somatic Trauma Release Study Results

By Brenda Cooper


When it comes to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD, there are a number of alternative and holistic therapies which can help. In the case of somatic trauma release, the process is somewhat complex. For, the therapy focuses on relieving symptoms of PTSD and other conditions by focusing on the perceived sensations of the body by a client.

In the case of this practice, sessions are often provided which track an individual over time. Most often, those providing the practice are mental health professionals such as psychologists, psychotherapists or psychopathologists. Although, clergy, chaplains, social workers, marriage and family therapists, nurses, physicians, body workers and physical therapists have also been known to assist individuals through somatic experiencing.

Certified practitioners must complete a 3 year training course, eighteen hours of consultations and twelve hours of one-on-one sessions. Different types of Somatic experiencing include developmental trauma on a long term basis and shock oriented trauma on a shorter term. As such, the training allows individuals to learn the best methods for treating different times of trauma on a long or short term treatment plan.

The practice focuses on creating and promoting awareness of the present while helping individuals release traumatic tension of past experiences. Pendulation, one aspect of the treatment can often be used to move an individual from a fixed or frozen state, often known as dysregulation to a regulated state, known as regulation in which the individual can regain bodily function. Practitioners often refer to positive reinforcements such as family, friends, associates, pets or vacations as a means of moving the individual from this altered state to a place of calmer emotions and memories through this method.

Resources in this area, while limited can often be anything which can assist the nervous system return to a regulated state. In some cases, showing an individual photographs or publications can work to guide clients back to a regulated state. After which, once the individual returns to a regulated state, bodily function can often return within a matter of minutes.

Clients often go through a series of emotional responses during the reregulation process. In some cases, this can be returning to regular breathing patterns, experiencing a warm sensation throughout the body or tears while the nervous system is returning to a regulated state. The intention of reregulation is to reinforce the inherent ability clients have to self-regulate before moving into a state of dysregulation in the future.

Shock and developmental trauma while similar do share differences. For example, shock trauma often occurs after a single traumatic event such as a physical attack, battlefield incident, earthquake, flood, hurricane or car accident. Whereas, developmental trauma occurs during child development when a child does not have sufficient, or experiences detrimental attention from primary caregivers such as parents and teachers. In addition, there can also be other traumas such as brain injuries or concussions in which the individual may need ongoing therapy in this area.

There have been two distinct and separate studies in relation to somatic experiencing in correlation to PTSD. Whereas, these studies concluded that to understand how and why individuals benefit from this type of experience needs further research. At the same time, the discovery that the majority of individuals reacted positively to the studies is a good sign for researchers and those suffering from PTSD.




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