Your Experiences With Bodywork For Healing Trauma

[ms spock]

My problem has been I need to get a job to get body work for my traumas, but I need bodywork for my traumas to get employment. I have been stuck here since I was 15. After thirty years of desperately tying to get treatment and putting up with substandard treatment as I thought it was better than no treatment, (I was wrong,) I am not feeling hopeful at this time. Now I have other traumas added to the initial traumas. It does make it hard.

 

[Care Bear]

@Ms Spock I am sorry to hear that your traumas prevent you from being employed. That is certainly a catch-22. Have you ever considered meeting someone you would want to do bodywork with and offering a trade?

 

[ms spock]

Yeah I tried that and that is what got me into trouble being sexually exploited. But thanks for the suggestion @Care Bear. You are a kind and caring bear indeed.

 

[fellowsufferer]

I'am also very interested in the body approach to trauma related issues. I also felt stuck in talktherapy, because it didn't get to the core of trauma (i telt it was frozen in time).
I think by reconnecting to my body, i can get to those emotions and bodily sensations. Because i think becoming aware of them on a cognitive level alone is not enough, i must feel and release those sensations also to integrate them. I've heard and read of stories, where people didn't get the right therapy and were traumatized again, so i think it is detrimental to have a licenced, well trained practioner! At this moment i'am working on breathing and grounding!

 

[Chava]

@fellowsufferer "bodywork" and body psychotherapy are two different things but either (or both) work on the body obviously, or our connection to it. I agree cognitive approach alone is not enough for many of us, since trauma is really about lower brain and nervous system dysregulation. Body psychotherapy for trauma is more like the therapy and bodywork is like a supplement or resource.

Anyway, I know bodywork (like massage) helps many people. I just can't do it. :nailbiting: But working on tolerating a PT touching me because I need to work through some of the pain stuff from that level. I did have a Pilates teacher who was hands-on and it didn't really bug me. Touch is important and I understand that it is healing, but I'm apparently super picky and have to get to the level of tolerating it....need to know what/why of it and also has to be pretty limited, like just cuing a group of muscles vs really manipulating them. I still want to do warm stone massage or sound healing sometime...let someone set stuff on me, but not really touch me.

 

[fellowsufferer]

@Chava. I find even a gentle touch very uncomfortable, i don't know why ( i will find out). I keep on shivering (i will keep searching why?) i know it has a profound effect on me if somebody touch me in a certain way (and i mean this trauma related- and i want to know why- regarding the brain connection)! I am very interested in this topic! Hugs and much strenght for you!!

 

[ms spock]

@fellowsufferer @Chava put up a youtube video of Laurence Heller in a thread. It goes for one hour and fifty-six minutes. The video is called Healing Developmental Trauma. He has a theory of a survival style connections, and I heard him mention that there are some people whose trauma mean they have trouble with touch. That is is painful and difficult for them. That might interest you.

If you search for Laurence Heller youtube you will find it.

 

[Chava]

I've read his book, yes makes sense, and I go slowly with touch

 

[fellowsufferer]

@Ms Spock Thanks for your post! Yes, i have read this book "healing developmental trauma"and "the body remembers" and the book'the body keeps the score", also the Peter Levine books. I did find them very enlightning! I need this bodywork approach, as i feel it will help me in becoming UNSTUCK. I hope my T will help me with this, but i suspect that she will since she is specialized in trauma-therapy. But I am beginning with te most basic things: like breathing and grounding. It is a process and i have to have patience!

 

[Care Bear]

@Ms Spock Thank you for sharing the video link! I will watch it soon! I finished "Waking the Tiger" recently. I feel like it gave me just a taste about the link between the body and trauma and I'm yearning to learn more.

 

[ms spock]

I am beginning with te most basic things: like breathing and grounding. It is a process and i have to have patience!

That is awesome. You are so brave. I still struggle with breathing and grounding, but it is a process and I will look at cultivating some more patience.

I am trying to be aware - through things like mindfulness and baths, walking and wrapping myself up securely in a doona. We all try different things.

 

[fellowsufferer]

@Ms Spock. You are also a brave soul and kind! Hugs for you! Indeed, we all have to try doing different things, before we find out those things that help us the most.