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When trauma occurs in our younger years, it often affects specific areas of brain development. The stress and fear of a traumatic experience, for example, activates the Reticular Activating System (RAS), part of our brain stem. This is the area responsible for filtering unneeded sensory input: we don’t need to be consciously aware of the feel of the clothes on our skin, or the hum of the lights in the background, so our Reticular Activating System filters out those inputs.
Trauma, however, disrupts the function of the RAS, allowing most if not all of the sensory input to reach our brains. This often results in sensory processing issues. We can be overly sensitive to sound, light, smell, touch or movement.
For those of us who are parents, this explains why many of our children cannot handle the grocery store. It stimulates all of their senses at once, in overwhelming quantities: the sound of the announcer, the brightly colored packaging, the smell of the bakery or fish section, and the movement of the cart.
As adults, it may be hard to admit that we often face very similar issues, but have simply learned to hide them. We may be irritated by loud places, tags on our clothing, motion in a car or boat, certain smells, textures of foods, bright light, high pitched noises, light touch on our skin, etc.
The best way to help develop our senses, even as adults, is to stimulate our senses in ways that are safe for us. Are you sensitive to certain sounds? Listen to music that helps you feel calm. Do you detest certain smells? Surround yourself with natural smells that you like. Does light bother your eyes? Have sunglasses handy.
These seem like simple suggestions, but for many of us self care is difficult, and we feel we should simply “get over” these issues. Issues resulting from trauma, however, typically do not heal well with more trauma. The idea that you will simply “get over” a sound sensitivity by making yourself go to loud places is simply untrue. Instead, treat yourself, protect yourself, know yourself. Your brain stem must heal first, and the stress response can only be healed through safety, care, and connection.
To help with sensory issues, here are some fun sensory toys that can be very helpful in caring for yourself. Also keep in mind that proprioception, a sense stimulated by deep pressure, is the most calming of the senses. Low force chiropractic care, and massage, are two of the best way to get this calming, safe, sensory input. As a matter of fact, the care that we provide can be instrumental in reducing sensory sensitivities, as well as overall stress on the body.
Dr. David Jones
BBC News recently did an amazing radio piece on how childhood trauma affects our health as adults.
In one of the studies that they reviewed, adults were studied who had experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). There were twelve such Adverse Child Experiences that they surveyed, from emotional neglect, to divorce, to physical or sexual abuse (a few of these ACEs that were studied are outlined in the graph below). Adults who had these experiences were more likely to have drug issues, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, attempt suicide, use tobacco, have an unhealthy diets, and many other issues. As a matter of fact, adults who had three or more of these experiences had a life span that was 20 years shorter than normal.
Another study showed that those who experienced childhood trauma struggled with hormonal imbalance due to an overactive fear and stress response. They also were more likely to have systemic inflammation and a weaker immune system.
That being said, these conditions were by no means permanent. As a matter of fact, a third study found that simple changes could reverse the course of these health problems. When people changed from an unhealthy to a healthy environment, or had healthier relationships, their outcomes improved dramatically. Likewise, those people that participated in some sort of therapy, whether psychotherapy, yoga, or meditation, also had much better outcomes.
Here at Clear Point Wellness, we address how trauma might be affecting a person’s physical health. Releasing that strain and that stress in the body can help survivors of childhood trauma as they work to become healthier as a whole, and ultimately change their health outcomes for the rest of their lives.
Dr. David
A structure, such as the one shown below, is said to have “tensegrity”. This tower is made of bars that do not touch each other, but that are held together in tension via a network of cables.
The term “tensegrity” comes from combining the ideas of tension and integrity. In other words, the integrity of the structure is a result of the tension of the cables.
“Biotensegrity” is the idea that our bodies act in much the same way. Traditionally we have viewed systems of the body as being separate and distinct: there is a system of bones, on which is attached a system of muscles, over which is the skin. Perhaps a more accurate view of the human body is that all of these structures exist within a network of connective tissue called fascia.
This fascia surrounds every bone, every muscle, and every organ. Each body part, in fact is simply a pocket in the large fascial network. In this way, we can see that our bodies are similar to the structure above. The bones, muscles and organs are the bars, and the fascia is the system of cables.
We are held together in tension, therefore, and the integrity of our bodies depends on all of the parts working together. When one part of the system is injured, it affects the entire body; just as if you were to weaken one of the cables above, the entire structure would become unstable.
A foot injury can affect how the shoulder works. A head injury affects the entire spine. A tailbone injury can affect the inner ear. It is important to address the entire body, especially the system of “cables” that connects it all, the fascia.
When I see patients, I try to look at the whole system. Where is the tension? What else is being affected? How healthy is the fascia? No part is unimportant, because it is all part of the system in tension. When the whole system is flexible we have energy, strength and we feel like ourselves again.
