The human species is a living paradox.

We have a biological imperative to let go of trauma and an egotistical refusal to do so.

Abstract: Due to increasing violence in the world, large populations and even entire nations are being traumatized. Many of these traumatized populations do not have access to therapists and western psychology. Traumatology therefore is in need of a new paradigm for trauma recovery that can address these multi-cultural and national levels of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This article outlines an alternative method of trauma recovery that can be self-applied, has immediate effects, can be used on large scale populations without the guidance of a therapist and avoids the common pitfalls of psychological and sociological differences. The methodology presented here is based on the premise that the human being, as a living species on this planet, possesses an organic restorative capacity right within the recesses of the human body to heal itself of even the most debilitating traumatic experiences. This article discusses the history and theory of this new method known as Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE).

Introduction
Since traumatic experiences are increasingly occurring on a national, international and even global scale, researchers are beginning to recognize the seriousness of this new phenomenon which has become known as The Invisible Epidemic (Bremmer, 2002). With the recent events of war and terrorism looming over the horizon of the American public, work in trauma recovery is in great demand. Trauma research and services are urgently needed in a multitude of public, community and social services. People living and working in traumatizing environments such as: police, fire fighters, EMTs, victims of domestic violence and abused children are but a few of a growing list of people in need of trauma recovery programs. With the growing phenomenon of trauma and the increased knowledge of its damaging effects on the individual, main stream health care providers are finding they are unprepared, ill equipped and lack the knowledge to deal adequately with this large scale problem. The question presented to us in this day and age is: How do we as individuals, as a people, as a nation, as a global community, plan to care about and resolve traumatic experiences and PTSD for large scale populations?

Because of the development of new fields of study such as psycho-biology, neuro-physiology and physiological psychology science is giving birth to a new understanding and emphasis in somatic based trauma recovery processes. This is an emerging field which acknowledges the critical interaction and mutual interdependency of autonomic body responses and neurological processes. It is becoming more and more clear that whether the trauma occurs in a physiological, cognitive, emotional, or interpersonal form it is inevitably carried by the physical body. Through the cross-fertilization of these emerging fields, it is becoming more apparent that just as the human organism is designed to experience and endure traumatic events it is also designed to recover from these experiences. The body contains all the anatomical and physiological mechanisms necessary to restore itself to optimal health after the trauma has passed. The cross-fertilization of these multiple fields of science are revealing that the new paradigm for healing on a community, organizational or national scale is hidden right within the recesses of the human body itself. In fact, it is rapidly being accepted that recovering from trauma is genetically encoded in the human species as a way of completing one phase of life and beginning something new as a part of our unending cycle of evolution. Trauma recovery methodologies therefore are progressively moving towards physiological interventions that capitalize on this biological impulse to resolve trauma by using the bodys natural restorative mechanisms.

History

A quick review of the historical development of the field of traumatology can help to situate us in our contemporary understanding of trauma, research and methodology.

Psychology: Until recently resolving traumatic issues remained the sole responsibility of psychologists. Their primary focus was on the emotional effects of trauma. They recognized that traumatized people often reenact their trauma in some form in an attempt to restore a sense of control and victory. This reenactment of victimization is a major cause of violence in society today (Ross, 2002). The primary form of recovery for psychologists has been long or short term counseling and psycho-emotional debriefing. However, studies have shown that these methods do not necessarily prevent or resolve PTSD symptoms and they may in fact re-traumatize the individual intensifying the psycho-emotional scar. Additional problems with this form of treatment are that, psychology is culturally bound, it is unavailable to many people, is too expensive for most people and has oftentimes proven itself to be ineffective.

Biology: Next to arrive on the scene of trauma therapy was the field of pharmacology. Advances in the study of medications to help regulate the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol provided additional hope in the area of trauma recovery. However, although these medications helped alleviate some of the symptoms we now recognize that they have the adverse effect of suppressing some vital physiological functions and reactions necessary for the healing process.

Neurology: Major advancements have recently been made in the field of neurology regarding brain functioning and traumatic experiences. We now know that trauma memories are encoded differently by the brain than ordinary events (van der Kolk & Fisler, 1995). This neurological adaptive behavior which does not process and integrate the traumatic behavior immediately is the principle cause for PTSD. Likewise, we know that trauma causes a loss of neuromodulation (van der Kolk & Fisler, 1995) which explains sudden and uncontrollable outbursts of anger, rage and hate. If a child is traumatized during the stages of brain development, the trauma will create an organizing framework for the developing brain (Perry, Pollard, Blakley, Vigilante, 1996). Thus, the childs brain develops a traumatic trait within its memory system. Once again, even though we are aware of the neurological defenses that are engaged during trauma, our ability to re-regulate neurotransmitters has not provided us with the trauma recovery method that we need to address the magnitude of trauma we are experiencing today.

Mental health and medical practitioners are still searching for a new paradigm in the field of trauma recovery that can effectively be used on a national scale within cross-cultural settings. Until we can learn to successfully treat the effects of trauma on a large scale, we may be unintentionally creating cultural patterns of depression, anxiety and hyperaroused violent behaviors.

At this stage of development of the human species, we find ourselves in a precarious position. The probing question that is being asked relentlessly by researchers is: What prevents people from returning to normal functioning after the traumatic threat no longer exists? What we are in search of is not a new field of science but rather, a new paradigm on how to deal with the unrelenting effects of trauma and PTSD that disturbs traumatized individuals or entire cultures.

Physiology: All the research and clinical studies mentioned so far have been fundamentally limited by a predominately mechanical view of human beings. What we have forgotten is that we are an animal species on this planet that has survived traumas for hundreds of thousands of years. Why do we have such problems resolving trauma in this day and age. The answer lies in our development as civilized people. As we moved more into our heads and cognitive abilities we systematically separated ourselves from our animal nature. This remarkable break through and insight is most clearly articulated by Levine (1997). As a result of this split, the connection between trauma and our natural instinctual capacity to recover was lost. Essentially, we have forgotten that we have a body that has mechanisms built into it that assure its expedient and efficient recovery.

The body has certain mechanisms that can immediately contract the musculature for protection and charge it with additional energy for a fight or flight response. Conversely, it has certain mechanisms designed to release the deep chronic contraction after the danger has passed. This mechanism which allows an organismic discharge of the excessive energy and a subsequent relaxation of the musculature has been diminished over time to the point where we no longer even know it exists. Without the activation of this discharge mechanism, the message to normalize the neurobiological system is not received by the brain and the body remains on a state of alert. Thus, the nervous system remains charged and highly activated. This hyper-vigilant state is precisely what sets the stage for a violent re-enactment of additional and self-perpetuating traumatic episodes.

What we must come to realize is that we are living in an organism that will continually repeat some form of the trauma until it can successfully release the residual energy and restore itself to a healthy and calm state. The urge to repeat the trauma through re-enactment is so severe and compulsive because the drive to complete this discharge of excess energy is so vital for the bodys healthy functioning. It must restore itself to its healthiest possible state to assure the survival of our species.

The most recent practices in trauma recovery include biomechanical techniques designed to activate the release mechanism in the body that allows a full somatic restoration to occur. This biological and anatomical discharge plays a crucial role in the cessation of post traumatic stress symptoms. When the organismic discharge is complete it informs the brain that it is safe to reduce the levels of stress hormones and the body goes into a state of rest and recuperation. By initiating the recovery process from an anatomical rather than psychological level, individuals can learn how to begin their own healing process with the assistance of close friends and relatives.

New Paradigm

Rothschild and Jarlnaes (1994) succinctly underscore this new paradigm in one simple statement. One only has to read the most basic of the literature on the function of the brain, the nervous system and the physiology of stress to understand that the mind and the body are undeniably linked.

The shift in awareness that is taking place within the field of traumatology is that traumatic reactions of the human species are primarily instinctual and unconscious. They are not conscious, ego driven behaviors but more animal driven instinctive reactions. This creates the necessary paradigm shift regarding the recovery process. Trauma is being recognized primarily as an autonomic, physiological, anatomical and neurological response. This primary instinctual response then creates a secondary psychological (ego) adaptive behavioral response. The ego or personality of the individual, changes secondarily to adjust itself to living in a new physiological environment. It is not the ego that makes the initial changes in the human person during a traumatic event. Acknowledging that the animal instinct of the human organism has a systematic set of autonomic responses that become engaged during the trauma, subsequently creating a secondary response of ego adjustment, allows us to study these unconscious responses and reverse their effects on the individual. If these autonomic responses can be reversed, then the secondary psychological disruptions can be limited and the psyche of the individual can be restored to health much more readily. By working with trauma in this manner, we can work with the physiology of the individual to help bring relief from the trauma symptoms and circumvent the egos defense mechanisms.

In order to understand this process better, it is helpful to understand how all species deal with traumatic experiences. Animal species that are still living in their natural habitats often encounter trauma. They however, unlike humans, still have access to their natural ability to discharge the excess energy generated during trauma and completely recover and move on with life. Levine (1997) explains this best in his book Waking the Tiger.

The trauma response of the human animal is similar to that of most other animal species. Therefore, the humans response to trauma can be found in their roots as an animal or biological organism. As a living species on this planet, we like all other living species are genetically encoded to experience, survive and resolve trauma. It is part of our natural instinct that guarantees we will not only survive but actually evolve as a species. Without it the human animal would already have become extinct.

Post trauma reactions are caused by the residual undischarged excitement (biochemical energy) generated at the time of the event. If this high state of aroused energy is prevented from being discharged in the body it remains trapped in a bio-neural-physiological loop that causes a repetition compulsion behavior. Until the brain receives a signal from the central nervous system that the danger is over, the body will continue to repeat the bio-neural pattern of protection and defense. The key to a successful recovery from trauma is to activate the organisms natural release mechanism that signals the body to return to a state of rest and recuperation.

Incorporating Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)

During danger, an intricate interaction of biological, neurological and nervous system reactions occurs. This interaction causes the muscles to contract in order to protect the organism from harm or possible death. The iliopsoas muscles are considered the fight/flight muscles for the human species. These muscles play a major role in our survival instincts. They are the primary muscles that activate our flight/flight and freeze response. They react instinctually to a perceived danger and are not under the conscious control of the individual. These core muscles roll the body into a fetal position, protecting the vital organs and the soft vulnerable parts of the body as well as providing resiliency to the spine to help the body sustain a blow or fall. Likewise, these muscles stand guard like sentinels protecting the center of gravity of the human body located just in front of S3 of the spine. During any traumatic experience the iliopsoas muscles contract immediately.

Once the danger has subsided the nervous system of the body is designed to initiate a natural shaking process that rids the body of excessive muscular tension where the extra energy needed during the traumatic episode is stored. However, due to our evolution as an ego centered species, we have deadened this shaking mechanism. The uniquely developed Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) although simple and painless, are specifically designed to release the deep, chronic muscle contractions created by severe shock or trauma. They evoke the natural mechanisms of the body to dissolve chronic tension. By activating the bodys natural shaking mechanism from this powerful center of the body where the defensive contraction began, the shaking of the body can reverberate throughout the entire body looking for deep chronic tension in its path and naturally dissolving it.

Most traditional exercises are designed to release surface level tension. This is insufficient however when dealing with the deep chronic tension created during a trauma experience. Oftentimes these milder forms of exercise leave the individual feeling helpless and confused if they fail to relieve the tension of the trauma survivor. The uniqueness of the Trauma Releasing Exercises is that by following seven simple steps to releasing the trauma tension pattern of the body, its natural restorative mechanism can be immediately accessed and initiated. Once this mechanism is activated, the individual just passively allows the shaking to extend through the body. As the shaking spreads and intensifies, the individual can actually feel the release of these patterns of deep tension, the reduction of the high levels of stress hormones and the restoration of the neuro processes from the instinctual limbic system of the brain to the more reflective neocortex of the human brain.

The combination of psycho-bio-neurological research has helped us to recognize that the trauma recovery process can be successfully engaged via body modalities in connection with psychological interventions. Trauma Releasing Exercises are based on this premise. Through systematic cross-cultural studies of traumatic reactions from trauma due to war, political and domestic violence, TRAPS has managed to identify and isolate a specific series of muscular contractions that are instinctual to the human species and transcend cultural differences. By following a specific set of exercises, the individual can release the contraction pattern that allows the body to activate its natural shaking mechanisms to further discharge the organismic patterns of tension and defense.

Conclusion: Benefits of the TRE Approach

The human species is a living paradox. We have a biological imperative to let go of trauma and an egotistical refusal to do so. Because most trauma recovery has relied almost entirely or at least very heavily on ego centered interventions, they have mostly been able to provide insight but not always able to provide relief from the trauma symptoms. Since trauma reactions are primarily guided by neurological processes, biological changes and physiological reactions, the traumatized person is seldom in control of their reactions. Most often ones reactions in a traumatic event are autonomic and unconscious and therefore cannot be rectified through conscious and logical methodologies. Since they are more often instinctual somatic reactions rather than consciously driven ego responses, it is by returning to the body’s instincts and reversing the autonomic responses employed during the trauma that assures successful recovery from traumatic events.

By focusing on the individuals natural restorative mechanisms, every traumatized individual becomes capable of some degree of self-healing. By teaching the individual how to active these restorative mechanisms, entire populations can be guided through a self-healing process. This process can be easily taught and used effectively in schools, hospitals, institutions and organizations of diverse ethnic groups, languages and cultures. These exercises can be easily learned and are immediately effective. They are a natural deterrent from and reduction of PTSD thereby reducing the effects of subsequent traumas. They can be used to self-diagnose the degree and severity of tension from traumatic episodes. They can be integrated into a daily exercise routine as an appealing body based prevention and recovery process. They help to restore safety to the body more quickly facilitating a faster and more integrated healing process. This method is an appealing supplement to psychological intervention.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Information on this site is for information purposes only and not intended to constitute professional advice as circumstances will vary from person to person. Likewise, the results and the performance of Trauma Releasing Exercises and the additional trauma information is assumed by the user, and in no event shall TRAPS or David Berceli be liable for any consequential, incidental or direct injuries suffered in the course of using the exercises or information in this web site. Use of the information contained in this web site may contain restrictions on use.
REFERENCES

Bremmer, D. (2002). The Invisible Epidemic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Memory and the Brain.

Levine, P. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books. CA.

Perry, Pollard, Blakley, Baker, Vigilante (1996). Childhood Trauma, the Neurobiology of Adaptation and Use-dependent Development of the Brain: How States Become Traits. Infants Mental Health Journal.

Doss, G. (2002). The Trauma Vortex in Action In the Middle East. Foundation for Human Enrichment.

Rothschild, B. & Jarlnaes, E. (1994). Nervous system imbalances and post-traumatic stress: a psycho-physical approach Members: European Association of Body-Psychotherapy and European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

van der Kolk, B.A. & Fisler, R. (1995). Dissociation and the Fragmentary Nature of Traumatic Memories: Overview and Exploratory Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8, 505-525.