January 27, 2022
Perhaps one of the best Continuing Education opportunities happened today. It was a Zoom event on Trauma in Our Bodies and Brains. A retired clinical psychologist led this event about what happens in our brains and bodies when we are subjected to prolonged trauma, such as the last two years of pandemic. In order to help us understand, she expanded on the meaning of the word trauma:
Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences.
What seems to happen is that our brains tell our bodies that we should be on the alert to “fight or flight,” sending us into a state of reaction instead of thinking clearly. This plays out in various ways - acting out, exhaustion, forgetfulness, sleep pattern changes, weight gain, etc. Ultimately, we spend more time managing crisis instead of visioning or creating for the future. And with this prolonged event of COVID, our brains are in this mode almost continuously, even when we are sleeping. We are, literally, waiting for the next trauma/disaster, or so our brains tell us.
Are there answers to this state of being? As we spend more time reacting versus responding, how can we move ahead faithfully and without fear? One idea is to move slower. To create more safe space for folks to process.
Seems to me, simply having this knowledge is important and valuable. Along with my asking God to help me care about others, and myself, by being patient and understanding.
Thank you to our Synod for providing us with this education piece! It is truly a gift.
Blessings. And prayers.
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