Shock and Trauma

Remember the horrific scenes of September 11th on TV? People reported terrible stories to the cameras with wide starring eyes, and were clearly spaced-out. Some went into shock and lay shaking on the sidewalks, while others dashed about trying to help people trapped in rubble.

Since then, many New Yorkers will have experienced cold sweats, nightmares, emotional outbursts, and feelings of not being quite with it. Maybe they are only starting to come to terms with reality now, a few years on. Maybe they will have flashbacks for the rest of their lives.

Even for those watching TV around the world, this was clearly an overwhelming situation, which was far too big to digest at once. It seemed “unreal,” or like a “bad American film.” We all went into a kind of collective denial, not being able to believe that it really happened. Children all over the world started having nightmares and drawing disturbing pictures in the classroom.

It is clear from this situation that when a situation is too much to deal with, our central nervous system uses very powerful tactics to protect us from the reality of it all. We have an in-built mechanism that stops the impact being too severe. In a second we can go numb, anaesthetised to great pain, hurt and difficulty. The body can shut down, and we can spend years in a slightly spaced out state, not feeling in touch with reality. Hugely powerful hormones can change the way we are, leaving us in a state of limbo for decades.

Even everyday events, if they are not resolved at the time, can build up, layer after layer in our nervous system, eventually creating a traumatised system that is bogged down. Out of nowhere people can suddenly feel listless and lacking in energy. One piece of bad news can be the final straw that sends people spiralling into depression.

Cranial work can help lighten the load in a manageable way. When someone is traumatised or in a state of shock, a careful and sensitive treatment process can steadily bring them back to the way they used to feel.

Julian has specialised in shock and trauma work having studied advanced courses at the Karuna Institute in Devon. He has experience in guiding people out of the often frightening dark mental states and strange bodily sensations, back towards a more constant, together and calm feeling of well-being. He understands what is happening when people experience hot and cold, tingling, shaking and sweating. He knows how to keep the treatment process feeling safe and manageable so that people can really let go of trauma.