Trauma is something that I have been hearing a lot about lately. Whether this be related to my own or another’s trauma. Because my partner suffers with CPTSD I have made it a mission of mine to learn as much as I can about trauma and its impact. Last year I joined doctor Alex Howard with a trauma summit offering. I watched a lot of the videos on there and from that signed up to various offerings of newsletters and information from those that took part. This week I have also been watching a lot of information from an American clinician let’s call them Dr W. Dr W definitely had a lot of information that seemed to make sense and appealed to me. However they were also selling a program that would cost me a good chunk of money. The one thing I realised from this and from previous offerings from is that the trauma release or trauma recovery programs being offered are nothing new and are a conglomeration of things that I already know.
This takes me back to the knowing of why am I listening to other people because when I listen to myself and my body I know what is best for me in that moment. The thing is though, mostly life does not give me the time or the space to be able to do this effectively. And that for me is the crux of the majority of the mental health problems that I see overwhelming people and Society currently. I have said before and I will say again that I just think this society has been built around structures that are not beneficial for the human race especially in the Western world.
I mean who decided that it was a good idea to work Monday to Friday? Although saying that back in the Victorian era working expectations were a lot different. Industrialism, agriculture, there is a lot that could be blamed for encouraging this catastrophic mental health situation that we see occurring now. And the kind of reform that happened after 1944 for schools and opportunity for education. However, that is not a rabbit hole I have dropped down, so best not to quote what the internet search came up with on that.
How do I think that trauma is something that can be fixed and what is the best way to approach it? These are what seem to be in the few hundred pound courses you can buy. And don’t forget – it takes management afterwards to stay well. There is not a quick fix.
The biggest thing is that you have to get your nervous system to start calming down. After being in such a dysregulated state for what may be many years this may not be that easy to begin with.
Getting you to feel safe is paramount. And whilst that may be an easy statement, for those of us that have been in a perpetual state of dysregulation and hypervigilance it’s not easy to suddenly switch all of that off.
Learning the things that make you feel safe, feel calm and serene is where you need to head. And if that doesn’t come easily, what is it you can do? Move. Moving can help to start regulation. Walking, wheeling, climbing, skating, swimming, gym-ing, dancing – whatever your movement fix, do it for at least 20-30 minutes each day.
Then there are the somatic exercises that can be found on Youtube, alongside vagus nerve hacks, emotional freedom techniques and a load of other useful stuff. As I get told by teachers facilitating any movement class – if it hurts or doesn’t feel right for you – don’t do it! This is not a ‘proving anything’ to yourself or a test of endurance. Do what is useful within your means.
Journalling. It may or may not be for you. But it does help.
Peer Support. Now there’s something that also helps. And lasts a lot longer than any Trauma-Impact-£££-Fix-It-kit will. Because connection matters. With people who understand, or at least try to.
Pandering to consumerism is not sustainable. And whilst the government believes getting everyone working is the answer, it scares me so much to think of the fall-out the NHS will get from that. Because I don’t see the world of work as ready. And consuming costs a lot. Most of those within the mental health system may have more than one issue to deal with because they have been left so long by services and a lack of support that everything is now impacted and will take a lot of time, patience and understanding to move from that. Will anyone from that situation be able to work full-time for someone else? Yes. But with a lot of support to get there that has not existed so far.
I have been going through my NHS England Peer Leadership training. I watched something called The Kings Fund. Apparently it shows how services speak to one another so that people are treated holistically. If GP’s drag their heels in getting their systems to speak to hospital ones and permission for a social worker needs to be given for them to speak to the council to help move you, how the hell is this delightful Kings Fund being driven forward in the services it speaks about? I get things are bad. More than bad in some places. Who is accountable for any of this? Do I write to my MP? Will they change it? Or will people in all of these services stop being idiots for one minute, take stock of their processes and just make it work. FFS, we are all human. Let’s start seeing some humanity in this society of ours and the services that we pay for that are meant to provide!