Processing Trauma

[Born to Run]

To me trauma would only really be processed if one does not get triggered by the memories that caused the trauma in the first place.

To me this is an incomplete idea of processing trauma. I am never triggered by memories, because I have no cognitive memories. This is about very early childhood abuse. The only thing I can work with are bodily memories, which are often accompanied by emotional memories. To me the processing part is going through the bodily memories, totally feel into them, and let emotions surface as well if they are present and feel those at well. It is about the emotional and physical release of the trauma that causes your brain to process it. On the brain level the processing part is well described.

I think more optimistic about the role of processing trauma, as I think you can heal from ptsd. If you just keep on going through the layers there will be an end. As Peter Levine says: "Trauma is a fact of life, but does not have to be a life sentence."