The two most effective treatments for CPTSD are EMDR and Somatic Work. What do the two have in common? Both are part of the Bottom-Up Therapies which are new and innovative methods for treating trauma. They help us contradict or master how we felt in our original trauma as we are processing what happened to us. EMDR uses the imagination while somatic work uses the body.
EMDR is widely popular for good reason. It’s helped many people heal from major traumas and start living their best lives. It even helped me with certain traumas (but not all). The problem is, there’s some important “fine print” that’s often overlooked.
EMDR is intense and its effectiveness hinges entirely on your ability to stay present while processing the traumatic event. So it is not recommended for those who are prone to dissociate (Trauma Glossary 2). Not all traumas are for EMDR. If the pain of your trauma is greater than your ability to stay present in an EMDR session, the side effects can be more painful than the trauma, itself.
My cautionary tale for you
The biggest mistake I made in my healing was my stubborn insistence on processing my summer of ‘86 trauma in EMDR. I briefly mentioned its side effects in my prequel comic book. Just suffice to say I bought myself a one-way ticket into crazy town. There’s hyper-vigilance (Trauma Glossary 2) and then there’s full blown paranoia. For over a month I had the latter
My flashbacks to summer of 86 became permanently more intense as a result. Pre-EMDR, the flashbacks just made me sad and easily prone to executive dysfunction (Trauma Glossary 2). Post-EMDR, my flashbacks swamped me with depression, caused me to dissociate, and my body went into collapse mode. This process happened very rapidly and would often catch me unaware until it was too late, and I was rendered helpless for the rest of the day.
I did not want that pain in my life. I did not want to be stuck walking around on eggshells with a trauma that had been hellish enough the first time. So I went on a quest, trying different things, mixing up different tools, and even inventing my own. This series of articles (first of four) are the results of that quest. It stands as proof that we are never bound by our trauma for life. There is always something we can do; we just have to get a little creative and think outside the box.
Somatic work
Somatic work Is based on the discovery that trauma is stored in the body; proving that our trauma is holding on to us, and not the other way around. Somatic work is working with our bodies and emotions to release the trauma that’s binding us. (For a generalized list of somatic work, go to Section 2 of Master Toolbox 2.)
Among the great benefits of somatic work is that many things fall under its umbrella. So, there are endless options. This means somatic work really is for everyone! Not only can it help you conquer your trauma, but it can get you better grounded for EMDR as your next step. (Believe me, I wish I had started with somatic work.)
Somatic work is also great for flashback management. Since this series of articles addresses the latter, however, we will focus on that.
Opposite Pose
I learned this trick from my yoga therapist. Pay attention to what your body is doing during flashback. Start with your head and neck. Is it looking down or is it cocked to the side? Now think of your torso. What are your shoulders doing? Is your back ramrod straight or is it curling? Now focus on your limbs. how are your arms and legs positioned? Give each part of your body the opposite setting. Then you have your opposite pose. Each time you practice this it challenges your nervous system into thinking outside its standard trauma response.
In my summer of ‘86 flashback my head is down; my back and shoulders are hunched. I shuffle my feet and I typically have a hand on my core. Here is my opposite pose:
Having a good focal point is a bonus, so I face my open window, (not the one in the picture) standing about three feet back while in this pose. I allow my head to drop ever so slightly. Just enough so I can see my neighbor’s house across the street. Summer of ’86 me wanted to go outside but was denied that right; so adult me is acknowledging this (being present) while reminding my trauma that it is now free to do so if it chooses.
Opposite pose can also be used in a pinch whenever you’re out and about and your flashback hits. Just a quick snap of your body and an equally quick return to baseline posture will help level out its severity. It looks like you’re working out a kink in your back or neck. I have done this both while grocery shopping and at work. No one was ever the wiser. *Wink!
Exercise therapy
The key here is getting in touch with your trauma and giving it what it wants. Don’t be surprised if your trauma’s needs vary from day to day. The intensity of the trauma is in direct proportion to multiple unmet emotional needs. So while your trauma will, on most days want what it was denied the most, there will be some days it will ask for something different. Be mindful of this, as it will come up.
Yoga
Where somatic work is concerned, yoga is the most popular. In fact, yoga is a tool listed in both Master Toolbox 1 and Master Toolbox 2. Yoga is an excellent means of getting in touch with our trauma and it has the added benefit of doubling as warmup stretches.
Sun Salutation
The sequence begins at the 12:00 position, then go clockwise until you end in the same position you began with.
Sun salutation is a sequence of poses per breath. Inhale through your first pose, exhale through your second pose, and so on. It wakes up the nervous system. Think of it as a gentle sounding alarm clock. It’s as if you’re saying to it, “Hello, is my trauma here? May I speak to it, please?” I absolutely swear by this one as the first in kicking off my exercise therapy.
Hip Openers
Here is a great link for hip openers that might work for you.
Hip openers are most common for getting in touch with our trauma. However, for some, hip openers can feel like it’s opening Pandora’s box. If this is you, do not use hip openers! The goal is to gently get in touch with our trauma, not give it shock therapy.
Open Heart Stretches
Here is a good link for heart openers.
Open heart stretches involve widening and poking out the chest – where the heart is – hence its namesake. In this one you’re using your body to let your trauma know it’s safe to be vulnerable and open. Using a focal point that’s comforting or empowering to you in some way will be useful while doing this one. It can be a piece of art or even standing before a window where you’re able to see your outer world. I follow these up with opposite pose.
Warrior Pose
Well of course I’m going to conclude my yoga stretches with this one. After all, my tagline is forged in trauma; rising as warriors. I just love the way this pose makes me feel, empowered and ready to take on whatever it is my trauma wants. What’s an empowering pose for you? It doesn’t have to be the warrior. Don’t be afraid of trying out variants.
What does my trauma want?
Fight
Does it want a champion? Punch a bag. Martial arts are beneficial, not just for fight types but for flashbacks that bring up lots of anger. It incorporates discipline and focus which helps level off the high anger by giving it new pathways for expressing it. Conversely, using fight is great for anyone whose flashbacks make them feel small and powerless.
This is not to say that punching a bag is the only way. I know one person who got into softball. When her flashbacks get severe, she goes to the batting range. She imagines her borderline mother’s head each time she smacks a ball.
Kickboxing is my trauma’s most requested. I’ll be honest, I’m gleeful on those days. While my summer of ‘86 trauma wanted to be rescued, adult me wants vengeance. Hey, better the bag then serving jail time for assaulting my abusers.
Flight
Does it want to run away? Physically leave your home. If the weather permits it and if your neighborhood is safe enough for you to do so, leave on foot or on a bicycle. Keep going until you can’t see your home anymore. Then slow down into a mindfulness walk or coast on your bike. Take in the scenery, the landscape, the homes. Each thing you are taking the time to notice is a reminder of everything that is different from what you saw during your trauma. Be aware of the peace so that as you return home you are reminding your trauma that it is now going home to a safe place.
If the weather is not permitting or your neighborhood is not safe enough to leave on foot, drive away from your home to a park or a gym. Be mindful of the role you are playing the moment you get in your car. You are the safe adult taking your trauma away from its abusive home. On the drive back, you’re bringing it to its forever home that is now safe. If this is your trauma’s most frequently requested, then an elliptical machine, stationary bike or a treadmill would be a great investment.
This is my trauma’s second most requested. On days the weather is not permitting, I use my elliptical machine. My “running away” playlist helps me with both my muscle and visual memory. As each song plays, I’m able to recall where, in my running/mindfulness walk, I usually am when the weather is good. It keeps me better focused on what I’m doing for my trauma.
Some honorable mentions
Fight slays the dragon; Flight plans the escape. But our trauma won’t always want either/or. So, don’t be afraid of exploring other means. Here are just a few variants that work just as well on flashbacks:
Weightlifting: Active strength training. “My body is my armor, and it’s strong enough to deflect abuse.” There is also the mindful experience of feeling the weight and release in each curl and press. It’s acknowledging a time when too much was put upon the child while the safe adult is releasing the burden.
Dancing: Liberation, the celebration of being free. Who dances when they’re angry or sad? Dancing is infusing the trauma with joy, a reminder of its freedom of self-expression. Of course, adding a spiteful shake of the butt in front of the imagined faces of the abusers is always a bonus.