TRAUMA SENSITIVE MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness can help some people to integrate trauma.
And it can be re-traumatizing for others If possible, screen beforehand for trauma....
REALIZE- Understanding why meditation can create dysregulation for people who’ve experienced trauma and specific ways you can prevent this
People do not feel safe inside because mindfulness can cause flooding (fear, flashbacks, other emotions and shame)
If students have not been conscious of their trauma, mindfulness can be helpful in raising this to the surface. However there are absolutely those for whom the usual protocols are too intense.
PTSD (intrusive thoughts, emotional detachment/ numbness, flashbacks, heightened anxiety, nausea, disorientation, desire to flee)
---When survivors bring mindfulness to internal stimuli, the memories and stimuli of trauma will often trigger. It is natural to over-attend to this experience—and the pain is amplified. survivors pull attention away from the body out of self protection.
What is the student’s history? Pre-screen for class or before first meeting so as to know beforehand how the protocols need to be adapted.
ANY experience stressful enough to leave us feeling helpless, frightened, overwhelmed or unsafe is a trauma.
Prepare to RECOGNIZE symptoms of traumatic stress in meditation
Hyperventilation, heightened startle response, pale skin tone, disassociation, volatility, disorganized speech, spaciness.
RESPOND Equipped with introductory tools and modifications to help you work skillfully with dysregulated arousal, traumatic flashbacks, and trauma-related dissociation
As divers with seaweed. Relax, partner, self regulate.
· OPEN EYES
· Take a few deep breaths
· Focus on an external object in environment
· Soothing self- touch
· IS there a place within the body that feels stable? Focus on that.
· Take a break from mindfulness practice.
--WINDOW OF TOLERANCE. Numb= hypoarousal, Heart racing= hyperarousal.
So as to RESIST re-traumatization
Social-political implications: the ubiquity of serious trauma.
PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person.
Intrusive memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event
Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event
Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event
Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:
Negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world
Hopelessness about the future
Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
Difficulty maintaining close relationships
Feeling detached from family and friends
Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
Feeling emotionally numb
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:
Being easily startled or frightened
Always being on guard for danger
Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
Trouble sleeping
Trouble concentrating
Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior
Overwhelming guilt or shame
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