Moving Through Medical Trauma

Somatic Tools for Healing

The pregnancy and postpartum journey can bring on a wave of emotions. Between the exhaustion, the incredible highs of becoming a parent, and adjusting to your new identity and changing body, it’s a profound and intense chapter. And for some, medical complications can add another layer to this already intense and emotional time. 

If you experienced birth trauma, had an emergency cesarean section, or had any kind of negative interaction with the medical system, you might be impacted by medical trauma. 

Medical trauma leaves us feeling unsafe in our bodies and can lead to feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression. You might even be experiencing physical symptoms like headaches, insomnia, or fatigue. With medical trauma, it’s common to feel a sense of helplessness and a lack of agency and control over our bodies, and this can lead to disembodiment and disconnection.

Maybe you have thoughts like “Is something wrong with me? Am I okay?” or maybe you feel numb or detached from what you’re feeling in your body. Sometimes medical trauma can even bring up previous challenges we’ve had with body image and our relationship with food and exercise, and it can lead to an avoidance of medical settings and anxiety over our health and safety. 

Trauma often causes us to disconnect from our bodies in an attempt to protect ourselves. Our bodies and brains are constantly scanning situations and asking “Is this dangerous or is this safe?” If you’ve found yourself in a medical situation that felt unsafe to you, it’s likely that your body could still be carrying the memory of the experience in ways that you might not be fully aware of. Rebuilding a sense of trust and safety in your body is an essential part of healing. 

Incorporating somatic tools can be especially useful in regaining a sense of safety, connection, and confidence in our bodies. Here are 6 somatic tools that can help you move through medical trauma and can supplement your work with a mental health professional. 

Body Scans

A body scan is a type of mindfulness tool that helps us connect to sensations in our body. After trauma, we can feel numb or disconnected from what is happening in our bodies. Taking the time to mindfully scan your body from head to toe can help you notice any sensations or emotions that you might be holding on to. To practice a body scan, all you have to do is get comfortable and focus your attention on your breath and your body. With your eyes open or closed, start to scan the different areas of your body from head to toe and notice any sensations or emotions you might be feeling. You can use a body scan in times of stress to help gather more information about what might be coming up for you, or you can practice this daily to begin to rebuild your awareness for your body. 

Breathwork

Taking time to breathe deeply and slowly can have a powerful impact on your body. By focusing on your breath and intentionally slowing down your breathing, you’re sending your brain the message that you are safe and okay. Sometimes taking control of our breath is all we need to do to help our bodies feel safe and at ease. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by an intrusive thought or memory or feeling panicked and anxious, deep breathing can help remind your body that you’re safe. Practicing breathwork daily can help you feel more comfortable using it in times of stress.

Use a Self Hug to Support Emotion Regulation 

Unresolved trauma can lead our nervous system to become stuck in high alert. If you experienced medical trauma, your body might still be scanning for the next potential threat. Regulating our nervous system through physical movement and touch can help us feel safe in our bodies. A self-hug is an incredible tool that allows you to comfort yourself in times of stress by helping your body feel safe and contained. You can try giving yourself a hug by crossing your right arm over your chest and placing your hand on your heart, and crossing your left arm across your chest and placing your left hand on your shoulder. Hugging yourself in this way can make you feel contained and supported, and has been shown to reduce feelings of stress and emotion dysregulation. 

Tapping

Tapping meditations can have a profound impact on your ability to feel safe and regulated in your body. In EMDR Therapy, we often use tapping to help us feel calm and safe. There are several ways to implement tapping. Two of the most common include the butterfly hug, in which you cross your arms across your chest and gently and slowly tap each shoulder with your opposite hand. This slow tapping can slow your heart rate and breathing and create a sense of safety. Another easy way to practice tapping is to place one hand on each knee and slowly tap side to side as you focus your attention on your breath. This technique is easy to ease in times of overwhelm or panic. 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is an effective way to quickly release tension or overwhelming sensations in your body. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with anxiety, anger, or fear, you can utilize this skill to help release any unhelpful emotion or energy. To practice this skill, simply tense up each part of your body and hold the tension for a count of 5 before slowly releasing. For example, begin by clenching your hands, and then slowly relax each finger and muscle of your hand. Continue to tense each part of your body before slowly relaxing. You’ll notice that the negative energy or emotion will slowly release, allowing you to return to a more regulated state. 

Exercise and Positive Movement 

When you’re processing traumatic memories or find yourself feeling overwhelmed by stress, moving your body can be an excellent way to cope and take care of yourself. Studies have shown that exercise has a profound impact on our mental health, and can help improve self-esteem, sleep quality, and our sense of control, and decrease depression and anxiety. After medical trauma, it’s common to feel disconnected from your body. Building a healthy and positive relationship with your body can help you move toward healing. 

Connect to Your 5 senses 

Connecting with your senses can help you begin to rebuild your relationship with your body. Using aromatherapy is a great way to engage your sense of smell and begin to use your body to reconnect to different feelings and emotions. Enjoying a mindful meal where you focus on the flavors and textures you taste can have a similar impact on the relationship between your body and emotions. You can also listen to music you enjoy and pay close attention to the emotions the music evokes for you. You can begin to connect with your senses by practicing mindfulness and building an awareness for how your body responds to different smells, tastes, sights, sounds, and feelings. 

If you’re in the midst of processing and recovering from medical trauma, it’s important to remember that with the right support, healing is possible. If you’re interested in learning more and getting support as you move toward healing, reach out