Shock and Trauma | Part 1
As with Acute illness and accidents, holistic and complementary therapies can assist with shock and trauma. In his book The Body Keeps the Score, Gabor Maté says ‘One does not have to be combat soldier or visit a refugee camp to encounter trauma, trauma happens to us, our friends, our family, and our neighbours.’ Trauma can begin from our conception, at birth, in our early years, or later in life.
Trauma can be physical, mental/emotional, or spiritual. ‘Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past but it’s also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain and body and this imprint has on-going consequences for how a human manages to survive in the present’ - Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score. The symptoms of trauma can remain stable, be ever present, yet remain dormant and people can be unaffected, however, they can become unstable from various triggers that occur, or they can hide for decades, or lifetimes.
In this complex subject, multiple symptoms can occur that nobody can explain. These could be arising from a traumatic reaction to a past event that might not even be remembered. Symptoms can remain dormant accumulating over years, then during a stressful period or the result of an incident, they can show up without warning, and there still may be no indication of original cause. A breakdown may follow. This can be a similar response to what might be caused by a single traumatic event.
Symptoms and emotions associated with trauma can be extreme, when supressed, these can prevent healing. Early symptoms can include (but may also develop in later stages of trauma): Hyper arousal, constriction, dissociation, including denial, feelings of helplessness, hyper vigilance, flashbacks, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, hyperactivity, nightmares and night terrors, mood swings, reduced ability to deal with stress, sleep difficulties.
Later symptoms can develop and include panic attacks, anxiety, phobias, mental blankness or spaciness, avoidance behaviours, attraction to dangerous situations, amnesia, forgetfulness. Symptoms can then develop into excessive shyness, inability to make commitments, chronic fatigue, immune and certain endocrine issues (thyroid), headaches, neck and back problems, digestive issues, menstrual issues, depression, isolation.
Dissociation and The Impact of Trauma
Dissociation protects us by disassociating ourselves from the experience and splitting it off from our conscious mind. Because of this many people do not know they have suffered a trauma. Trauma can radically change people and they are no longer the same as they were prior to the trauma. However, the unresolved trauma remains and has influence over our lives and our self. Walking in nature, is medicine in itself, and on today’s nature walk I see plants and trees that provide some of the homeopathic remedies that can support us through shock and trauma:
Buddleia
Also known as butterfly bush, we can often see it growing near and in railway stations, growing out of walls and many places where there is very little soil. The flowers vary in colour dependent on the amount of sunlight they receive.
Buddleia as a homeopathic remedy is known as the Universal shock remedy and is useful for all forms of shock and trauma.
Many trees also provide us with homeopathic remedies which support more specific forms of shock and trauma:
Aesculus Hippocastanum (Chestnut tree, White Flower), Aesculus carnea (Chestnut tree, Red Flower), Malus Sylvestris (Apple Tree), and the great Oak.
For chronic conditions, you should seek advice from doctor or qualified homeopath.
Always remember for EMERGENCIES - CALL 999 or your Doctor
