What is SOMATIC EXPERIENCING in Trauma Therapy? | Kati Morton
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
- I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
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I've been doing SE for a few years now... BEST thing I ever did. Much more aware of my body, able to talk about the abuse in my history now... that body piece has been EVERYTHING for me.
kate suze I would like to do it but I am not sure if my insurance covers for it or if it has to be paid for separately
@@givingpresence It may depend on how your therapist codes it. Talk to your T about it.
Elizabeth Perez for me I live in a rural area and the closest Somatic therapist is 2 hours away and there is a waiting list.
So now that I have the knowledge that what I am feeling is past trauma trying to get out. I allow myself to get as uncomfortable feeling fear or to sit with the physical sensation.
Granted if I am at home I can do it better than out in public.
So I still carry a in case of emergency diazepam with me.
I still try to embrace the sensations as long as I can.
Where in the past before I knew better I would avoid any triggers and instantly take a pill a drink to avoid the sensations.
So basically SE is a method of making concious of the traumatic event? What do you do after being concious about it? How does SE resolve the trauma? Please explain, because I am very interested in it.
Even though it's 4 years later, I hope you see this. Thank you for your comment. I am about to begin SE therapy, I've become so disconnected from abuse as well. I'm so worried that even with SE therapy, I might just be far too screwed up and broken for any form of therapy to finally help me heal and untangle myself.
To paraphrase Peter Levine's book he says the only way to fully heal from trauma is to exit it with the same feeling of fear that you had when it was formed, otherwise that fear can't be released because you aren't conscious of it. I remember reading that vividly because I was thinking, "This sucks."
I also remember reading that the freezing and playing dead is less healthy than fighting or running away because its a lack of control and its how the energy ends up getting stored.
You're right. The freeze response causes you to disassociate from yourself and reality. Leaving you in a highly aroused state with noway of discharging that excess energy. It also causes a suppression of aggression. We can't fight or flight without being in touch with our aggression.
@@AuthenticSelfGrowth you, that healthy aggression
Class Punk makes me wonder if I should even bother trying it at all... 🥺. Cute dog, btw.
Class Punk yes, I had to get to the point of being willing to fear the fear again. But it was genuinely different with a trusted therapist in the same room. Still terrible. But worth the release of long-held trauma in my body. From there, a good therapist can help you come to the realization that the pain will never fully leave. And that you are able to come back from disregulation and integrate your experiences with the rest of your life.
kids have no choice but to freeze so that sucks
I just started somatic therapy. It is working!!!!!!!! EMDR was awful because I have CPTSD. I am so glad to feel like I am healing and much more capable.
Difference from EMDR? 🙏🏻
@@danielacanzini7286 very very different. EMDR retraumatizes the patient. It's terrible.
Dr. Alexa has this amazing calming presence to me. She is so intelligent and knows what she is doing that I can feel I would be safe talking to her. I really need to find someone like her. She is a rare gem though.
I looked at the site and there are no practitioners in my area and I am in Orlando! Isn't that shocking?
That is shocking!!! You could call whomever is closest and see if they know anyone in your area :) I am glad you enjoyed our videos together :) xoxo
I drive 45 min thru Southern California traffic for sessions with my Somatic experiencing goddess. She is a far better value, out of pocket not covered by insurance, than the entire milieu of Kaiser Psychiatrist (drug pusher) + 6 sessions of CBT + Full course of DBT group ( mostly because I deflect from my own healing by being better at therapy than my therapists, this was less than helpful.....)
SE is a very personal and amazing experience. I think it can heal the world, and tonight i have said that on several videos in my research.
I really like how Alexa always smile at you. She looks so friendly and open minded during all the conversations with you. I did realize that. This is such a wonderful thing, specially in this todays world where most of us look so angry and depressed.
I'm so happy that Levine's work and discoveries are being discussed and discovered, especially in the mainstream
Finally! My insurance, I am lucky, is amazing so and now I won't have to keep paying for workshops and now I have a one on one healer. I have needed this to go mainstream for so long now.
Omg the explanation about the splintering is so accurate! It feels like different fragments of emotions, sensations, pictures, sounds from different events are trapped and bouncing around inside of my whole body without any coherence or context 🌪️
I've done tons of different therapies and by far SE is my favorite!! I've noticed the biggest changes from it. I read Waking the Tiger and then started going to an INCREDIBLE SE therapist. Really gave me an awesome life!! I cannot say enough amazing things about it.
Sorry this is so late but can you explain a little about what exercises you were given to do?
Bethany Gallagher you could buy the book by Peter Levine called Healing trauma. It comes with a CD and the exercises.
Please talk about the chaotic home, I'm the 10th child of 11. I Was the invisible child, but God is healing me. Thank you for your videos.
as I watch this video, I say a prayer,
I pray for health, for wealth, and for love...
Massage therapy should be a thing. Something like a combination between osteopathy and somatic trauma therapy. I went to an osteopath a few months ago for my back. She felt all my muscles and organs etc. and told me that I had a lot of tension in my muscles and that she could tell from the size of my liver that I had either been using a lot of substances or had a lot of anger inside me. It was so good for me to get that affirmation, because I had been tired and anxious/hypervigilant for so long, and people had critisized me so much, that I started to doubt myself and thought I was lazy or malignant (my last therapist implied that when she sent me away!) etc.
May I have a chance to recover from muscle tension if I suffer from it for the last 2 years now. sometimes it's get so painful that I almost pass out. Pls mind to share me a method to heal from it.😢😿
This series is so wonderful. Its so interesting to hear how trauma is processed, and how that relates to the disconnection between memory fragments and triggers. I found myself quite disassocitive watching this, so its ni to go back and re-watch. I'm about to start trauma therapy, so this series is great preparation towards discussing my own trauma, and confronting thinking about it. Thankyou both for your great work, Im sure the world is a significantly better place due to the work you do, both here on RUclips and in practice. xx
I am so glad you have enjoyed the series!! I am working on our video together this weekend :) will be out soon!! xoxo
Thats so great, I'm a little nervous about it honestly. Did you see the sexplainations upload yesterday about revictimisation? Lyndsey explained it really well, but i think it would be an interesting topic from a more psychological standpoint, i know you've already pre-filmed with Alexa, but it might be something she has insight into as a trauma specialist. Much of what Lyndsey said helped me understand my own history, and i'm sure i'm not the only kinion out there with similar experience.
The positivity un your delivery is so fantastic, it helps with what could be an otherwise difficult message for people with trauma
I've really enjoyed learning from Ms. Morton, I've been in therapy for almost 20 years, and now I'm in school to become a therapist myself. I read her book years ago and have recently started watching the videos. I have been working with a SE practitioner for almost 6 years now (as a client), and my therapist is great, she's actually a leader in her field. It has taken a lot of time for the principles of SE to take hold in the body, but I'm finally feeling the results. It is a total game changer!!.
This presentation was beautiful, succinct and clear. It's really deepened my understanding of this somewhat mysterious approach. I think it's important to know the theory behind this modality and how it applies to our brains, our bodies, our pathology; how it is approached by the clinician, and what the goals are. After suffering from anxiety for decades, I am gaining a much deeper understanding of where it comes from and why it resists the cognitive approaches. These nervous system responses are formed in the pre-verbal years, which is why they are so hard to change. Thank you for this video!
Thank you thank you THANK YOU for these trauma videos Kati, they are so helpful- because I dissociate I often find that I miss explanations that my therapist gives me for how things work or whats going on, so being able to watch these videos is fab!
Alice yes! And being able to pause and rewind is so helpful.
oh yay!! I am so happy to be a resource :) xoxo
I have the same experience... Idk what is wrong with me so when i watched these videos a couple of times, it felt very relatable. However my therapist says that i have some anxiety mixed with some depression and an emotional management probpem.... Which sounds logical but sometimes it feels like it is more than that... There is a shutting down of some sort in my brain that i have been experiencing for a decade... It is much more managable and different now than before... But it still kinda controls my life.... The place where this shuttind down happens is in the lower back of my head... Above the neck I guess.... I guess when i feel this part of my body, it is like i cannot speak anymore or i don't feel properly anymore... Which i guess it what led to my emotions management problems... Idk... Sometimes i say maybe it is just the anxiety and that my anxiety is kinda focused or stored in this area... But listening to the video talking about the amygdala is very weird since it is same place more or less... The thing is, i don't think i had a trauma in my life... Sure i had overwhelming experiences and excruciating fears ever since i was a kid, but idk
I appreciate Kati and Alexa putting this together. Somatic experiencing has been a major game changer in my practice. I see rapid, naturalistic results with it. One of the most impactful things, even though Levine doesn't say it this way, is that the therapist's body sort of becomes like a very organic, human neurofeedback machine. The therapeutic resonance or "intersubjectivity" that I first learned to understand while using somatic experiencing seems to be the difference that makes the difference in a lot of other methods. Therapy has become more of a mutually enlivening experience with SE, and it is amazing to feel it in my body when my client has that survival energy coursing and shivering through them, going through the tension and pressure and rising triumphant with them. It's kind of hard to put into words how different it has been to use this sort of Body Mind method. It's more targeted than relaxation, meditation or mindfulness per se, and I've noticed that other methods of therapy tend to work better for people once they start to reregulate on that deeper level - the folks who keep coming back to treatment with poor results tend to start getting much better results that look like what most people get in standard therapies. It's like they got their nervous system back from the trauma or chronic stress. Alexa and Kati commented on that and I really appreciated that. It is encouraging to me to see more discussion about this, so thanks Kati.
Huge chunks of my life is stored in little snatches, and until recently I thought everyone was like that. But then I sat in a therapist's office trying to talk about something troubling, I couldn't answer any of her questions. Your explanation helps make that make sense. It's also helpful for understanding what's going on in my brain and why my flashback triggers can sometimes make little or no sense to me. I've read about how traumatic memories can get fragmented, but somehow this clicked really well, even if I did start to dissociate in the middle. Thank you.
You two have to do more videos together! The way you two tackle a subject gives me so many key tidbits to supplement the psychoeducation component of my therapy!
"Amigdalarm"...I love it!
My therapist led me to practice grounding techniques, become self-aware of my physical reactions during distress, and use journaling as a means to process trauma. This video, along with the series, has been affirming. I appreciate the content :)
"shake it off" is an old saying that I heard as a child. Usually, as you say after something traumatic has happened, not to repeat everything you guys said =)
Yeah, right? This is exactly what I was thinking about.
Wow this technique seems so much simpler and easier for the mind and body.
OMG THIS VIDEO!!! Soooo many things about how I feel makes SO much more sense now! This whole trauma series has been helpful but this video in particular. When you explained that trauma memories work different I felt like I know what is going on when I feel anxious
Yay!! I am so glad this was helpful! I found it interesting too!! Great to learn more about trauma and how those memories are stored in our brain! xoxo
This is so interesting, I would love to learn this type of psychotherapy. This must be why we get shivers down our spine in those dark moments?
We’re all traumatised, in all different ways & some more wounded than others, I love how we now have these types of therapies to get us back into our bodies. Our bodies wisdom has something amazing to teach our minds ❤️
I didn't know trauma until now. I was 42 when very bad things happened that trespassed the threshold of my pain tolerance (by a lot). Before that, all my painful life experiences were just handleable.
Not everyone is traumatized one way or another, I wasn't before.
That part was really interesting when she talked about how traumatic events are stored in the brain
Dr. Alexa looks so relaxed that she almost seems stoned. I wish I could live in the moment like her.
Exactly what I was thinking.
I love this video. :) My therapist works with somatic experiencing and I find it so hard and weird because i'm so unaware, so she will point things out like how i'm pushing my stomach and ask what's wrong and it'll take her doing that for me to realise i'm in pain. So it's super weird learning to recognise your body and connect it to something but I can see how helpful it is! This helped to understand it more too, I love how Alexa explains things! Especially how different fragments of trauma memories gets stored separately, like the actual visual memory is separate to the feelings and sensations and etc, totally relate to that and it's helpful to have it put simply/clearly. :) xoxo
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this! I am so glad you found the video helpful :) xoxo
Also, can you talk about the physical symptoms and illnesses anxiety can cause, like chronic nausea due to anxiety? Thanks for making your videos :)
I'm not an expert, but that's exactly why I'm getting this treatment. It helps, but like I shared in my comment, the process can be slow. It's hard to switch gears out of my head and into my body, because I'm an overthinker. But the body holds the answers, truly.
this is the type of therapy I do! I've tried other types, this is the only one to really help me so far! I was abused as a child...for year by the person that was supposed to take care of me...I struggled ptsd, panic attacks and am diagnosed with bipolar type 2.
Omg! My amygdala has taken over my life! 😭
I'm currently a grad student in mental health counseling and my current class is in trauma informed counseling. We've watched several Peter Levine videos for this class - it's amazing stuff. Even Bessel van der Kolk (author of The Body Keeps the Score) consulted with Dr Levine. I'm loving this video and want to get to know more about this technique!!!
I was very fortunate to receive somatic therapy from a therapist studying for his master's degree ad formed a group in the deal abuse center of my city. it is understanding the fight or flight or freeze system the body his through. you learn about the upper brain and the mid brain and the reptilian brain and your nervousystem. in trauma the whole body plays a role. this information truly opened the door for me to begin healing from abuse
ty for the trauma videos, its so under discussed
You are very welcome! I agree! Trauma and its treatment need to be talked about more :) xoxo
That’s how my memory is from the time when my mom was killed in a car accident. I was 10 and even most of my youth is still fragmented.
This is so spot on! I couldn't love this episode any more than I already do; thank you so much! Somatic Experiencing helps us to reset our bodies so that we don't continue to carry the trauma....very important to shake it off!
You are wonderful ! This helps put trauma into a manageable package.
Yay!! I am so glad you found it helpful :) xoxo
Oh my gosh i had no idea why i kept watching the movie Inside Out!!! I was so drawn to it, would just watch it and cry and sit there.. idk even know what the feeling was... grief, validation, healing? But i love that movie.
Thank you so much for covering this transformative treatment model! I have Bipolar 2 and c ptsd and Se is the best
I find it super fascinating ! I also am learning how to use sound based therapy such as the Safe Sound Protocol,which is based on the research of Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory, that essentially strengthens the function of the vagus nerve in order to regulate the autonomic nervous system. This has been shown to be an effective adjunct for trauma treatment including kids with autism! Would love for you to do a piece on this type of therapy, and Stephen Porges research that supports it AND Peter Levine’s, Allan Shore, and Dan Siegel’s work ❤️...I am not a psychotherapist but I AM an Occupational Therapist that WHOLEHEARTEDLY understand that mental health is a CRUCIAL component in my practice and professional philosophy ....LOVE your channel Katie!
Thank you so much for this. I’m considering pursuing a career as a somatic psychotherapist and I found this so helpful.
Glad i found this video and hour channel, had anxiety and panic attacks for years , still looking for treatment doctors medicines haven't been helping.
I love Dr Alexa ! She is the best in transmitting a sense of security and well being. Have you noticed how she says “yeahhh..” and “yesss!!” and “rrriigght” 😂 it’s so funny
Hi.I just experienced a brief type of Somatic Experiencing via health services and found this video extremely useful in comparing that experience to your points. I have struggled for so long with my fight flight response and never understood why it was so prevalent. The explanation and the useful tips on how to work on it are so good! Thank you both Tracy
Thanks again, but next time, you could add a role play so that we can get an idea of somatic experiences in action.
I'm wondering can narcisstic abuse (or other abuse) be a trauma in itself or is trauma aways a particular event? I have this persistent feeling for years now that I might have experienced a trauma in my childhood but I can't put my finger on it... I have many memories that are scattered all over the place and I can only recall fragments of particular situations that don't always make sence. I also have very few childhood memories. On the other hand I recently discovered that my mother is a narcissist and I am finally able to understand and recover from some of her abusive techniques...
slun4evka Yes, I do believe narcissistic abuse is ongoing trauma. I don’t think it’s enough to just recognize that you have suffered through this, although it is a starting point. I wish I could tell you the next step but I don’t really know what it is. I myself have been the recipient of narcissistic abuse from my mother. It’s a hard situation when you love a parent but hate what they do to you. My advice is not to accept being a victim or label yourself in that manner because that opens up a whole other can of worms. I am not implying at all that you do, just a statement and something to look out for. I feel for you because I understand what narcissistic abuse can do to a person. Always being on guard around them is exhausting in itself. The good thing is you realize that that is what you went through and knowing is half the battle. So many of us grow up thinking that this abuse is normal because we haven’t experienced anything different. I myself am looking for ways to heal from this and sometimes a conversation can shed some light into a very dark place. I wish you love, light and happiness. One step at a time. ❤️
Abuse does not have to be physical to be traumatic and to cause serious, long-lasting harm. My trauma was due mostly to parental emotional incompetence and unpredictability. I spent many years living with a parent who was never deliberately hurtful but nonetheless incredibly emotionally unstable and frightening to be around. Trauma based therapy has been the first treatment I’ve ever done that actually seem to make sense to me, to explain my situation and my symptoms, and give me an idea of how to feel better and live better.
The names for childhood trauma, like from Narcissistic abuse, can include "complex trauma", "complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD)" or "developmental trauma disorder (DTD)". I had a similar situation to yours. Best of luck on your healing journey. I hope you're able to find all of the resources you need
Yes emotional abuse is definitely trauma. Regardless of what your mom has/doesn't have.
I just learned that I have been experiencing a relapse to my CPTSD. I’m very interested in using the Somatic Experiencing Method for recovery. Thank you for discussing this process! I didn’t even realize it. At least, not to this extent . Thanks again.
These video series have been SO enlightening and helpful!! Thank you both for putting these together! I can't stop watching!! :)
I love watching your videos they are helping me before I even go into trauma therapy.
Thank you for explaining a lot of what I have been experiencing. I am currently taking a dive into NLP and am realizing that I struggle to make/retain cohesive narrative memories and a lot of this is likely linked to past trauma that I haven't recovered from.
Meredith Gene Levine hey Meredith! How far along would you say you’ve come along?
I would say the reason why you struggle to retain memories is because the language you use to recall events is not the same as when you talk about your trauma
Meredith Gene Levine narrative memories anyway
Thank you! Your discussion on traumatic memories is clear and helpful. I hope you keep doing more video interviews!
Hi Kati!
Quick question,please: Could you do some further videos with Alexa?? I really enjoyed you both and Alexa had some great information to offer. I would love to see you guys discussing about other issues,too. Your videos with Alexa are so valuable.
Wow!! Thanks so much for this. This put sooo many pieces together for me. Thank you!!!!
Wow. So interesting and really helpful. You two are killing it!
Yay! So glad you liked it :) xoxo
Aww it's so cute how excited Kati is to learn about this. That's how you know when you've found your passion, I guess!
Dogs do this. I worked at a dog daycare for 13 years and if there was an intense moment, like two dogs had a disagreement (not always a fight, that's part of our jobs-safe play and monitoring interactions) or maybe was felt overwhelmed by another, once the situation resolved, they'd give a big, full body shake and usually be ok.
Fascinating 😮
Hi kati, how do you get rid of passive suicide thoughts? Also, thank you for making these videos, they're really helpful!
Have you reached out to a therapist or psychiatrist?? Usually suicidal thoughts come out of feelings of hopelessness and getting some professional support can help take those feelings away :) xoxo I also have a bunch of videos about suicide if you want more info that way too! xox
That is so true I didn't even notice the memories of my abuse were so different than, let's say the memories of a party with friends. I don't even remember the day, or the time, i just know it was night time, I don't really remember what I was feeling, I just know it was horrible, and I can't say how long it lasted. Several minutes for sure but was it 5, 10 or 15 ? It's probably due to the fact that, like she said, I have fragments of memories and I have blank spaces between where I don't remember what happened... Now, I can have a better understanding of why it's like that ! Thank you
For the first time it makes sense why I have trouble concisely explaining a traumatic experience. When I’m asked to tell the story of what happened, I am almost a loss for words and my mind is paralyzed in a way.
"Even years later traumatized people often have enormous difficulty telling other people what has happened to them. Their bodies reexperience terror, rage, and helplessness, as well as the impulse to fight or flee, but these feelings are almost impossible to articulate. Trauma, by nature, drives us to the edge of comprehension, cutting us off from a language based on common experience or an imaginable past." - Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score
(highly recommend this book!)
bro i have needed to know this for so long
Thank you so much for these videos, Kati and Alexa! I'm wondering if I should tell my therapist I need a more trauma-focused therapy. I've been searching for help for a long time because of things that happened as a preteen (mainly emotional bullying from peers) that just flipped some kind of switch in me, changed my personality, self-confidence, and got me into ruminating a lot.
Also, yes, I was thinking about Inside Out too! :D
Really like these traumavideos :)
I am so glad :) xoxo
Is Somatic Experiencing as effective virtually as it is in-person (for a 14 year old girl)? Thank you.
Does somatic experiencing work with chronic trauma? It sounds really helpful, but what if there are dozens and dozens of very similar traumatic experiences, how do you glue all the pieces together without mixing it up, putting pieces of different actual events that seem similar together? If that makes sense? (I'm talking about like, 10+ years csa, specifically csa that was done in a similar way many many times?)
And when trauma started when you were younger than where our memories of anything develop (before school age)?
Thank-you, these videos are amazing; I shared them with my therapist too.
Yes it can and does!! When I was talking with Alexa previously (before filming at all) she had said that when working on one trauma memory and healing that (creating a cohesive narrative of it) it can also help heal others that are similar to it. So in essence working on one can heal many more.. EMDR works like that a bit too :) So don't give up hope, just make sure you are working with someone who knows what they are doing :) xoxo
Meet with a Dr. who in a SHORT bit of time determined from way I told a childhood story it was evidence that I live in a state of PTSD.
I'm late to the party here. I suffer from C-PTSD . I have spent my whole life trying to control these somatic symptoms.
My problem has been hyper control. I have successfully reframed, I have confronted, forgiven, and helped my core abusers (for the cases regarding abuse) and I feel I have processed the deaths and gone through greif.
But these trauma responses pop up still. Cognitively I could write an entire book on what I know is happening in my body. I can rationalize it, I understand it, I even understand a lot of the triggers. But... My body still goes through all of the responses. It's exhausting. Even with an extreme amygdala hijack, I can keep my temper, treat others around me with respect, not lose control, don't give in to fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses.
But I still shake. I still feel like been told I have minutes to live. I am exhausted.
What I heard is that SE can help me treat the symptoms of trauma responses long enough to reframe. But I've already reframed. I already have healthy responses, I write, I draw, I create, I volunteer, I process...
But I'm exhausted. I'm not missing any limbs. I have 3 beautiful children and an amazing relationship with them, I'm so lucky compared to so many others I've met.
But is this life? Should I just tally my blessings and count my losses?
Can I truly be re-wired? Or is this just another body hack to manage the demons I live with daily?
dr kati your work is wonderfull.....keep it up...
omigosh I think they just came up with the idea for Inside Out 2
Hi, Kati. Can you please make a video focused on social anxiety (I know you did one about anxiety disorders in general, but can you make one getting deeper into social anxiety?) Thanks :)
Wow, nothing like hearing two trained therapists in video that's intended to be helpful on the topic of trauma basically say "those irrational teenagers, ya just can't talk to 'em lol!"
😥🥴
its not shaking its TRE people... very good stuff
Very helpful. Thanks
loved this series!! very interesting video!
Wow! I just realized I would benefit from trauma therapy. Because my body stays stuck in freeze and its hard to get that energy out. This makes sense. Do you offer 1on1 or have resources?
I've watched a lot of ur videos and there all informative and explains A LOT! But I can relate to this video from beginning to end. I didn't understand my own thoughts so it made it hard to explain to someone else. It comes out in not full sentences and events are scattered. So this video makes me feel better about understanding myself. Thank you
Thank you. This was very helpful
Thank you both for this wonderful series of videos! I wish so much that trauma therapy was available all over the world. I truly believe that most, if not all, of us who struggle with our mental health are desperately coping with trauma. Unfortunately, even here in the USA, trauma therapy isn't available to so many of us who would benefit from it, especially in the "public" mental health system. I've never had the privilege of mental healthcare in the private sector. The public system here in TN tends to focus exclusively on basic coping skills rather than in-depth healing of past trauma. Also, "specialized care" doesn't seem to be recognized here at all. I keep muddling through on my own; but I wonder, is it even possible to heal past trauma without the specialized care of a trauma therapist?
Do the 21 day nervous system course by Irene Lyon. I’m in the middle of it right now and learning a lot and healing too 👍🏽
Hey Kati, I was wondering can hypersensitivity to loud noises be related to trauma? I experienced a lot of trauma as a child. I'm not sensitive to a particular sound, but just loud noises in general.
As survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, loud noises mean "someone can attack me anytime, i am in danger" I was yelled at and screamed at first then attacked so of course my nervous system can't take any loud noises, I am afraid for my life still to this day deep down rooted in my nervous system. My boundaries was pushed and crushed so many times in those loud, chaotic family gatherings, any noise resembles "something against my will is going to happen and I am in danger, I must do something about it!!!" Read "The Body Keeps The Score" and try neurofeedback, emdr, somatic therapy, yoga as it was described in the book at the right time. They all heal a different part of your brain and body. And I bet you have more sensitivity than just sounds if you have childhood trauma so work on yourself, healing is possible and help is out there. You are NOT alone, so many of us endured war-zone homes and survived on our own... We matter and we can heal from all that trauma that happened to us against our will, crushed our soul. We are still alive deep down under.
@@sacmakiz Thanks
I love this video so much! So informative and helpful :) I was also wondering if you have ever done a video about depersonalization? I have that and I want to understand it more in a better way. Thank you Kati!
Great video and I am watching it again. I wish to see more about this subject.
Thank You for explaining therapy!
Inside out is my favorite movie ever.
Im going to have a break from trauma therapy, well, ive had a number of sessions, will put back on the waiting list. I need a trauma therapy goal?
Hi, this is a old video, don’t know if you still see this videos. But if you see it. Can you make a PTSD video about anxiety after have a TIA on the hospital, about high heart rate, be afraid to get another, to die, to not return to normal person on society, even when your cardiologist say everything is ok
Strange. I could tell the story of the guy holding a knife to my throat the day after happened. Beginning, middle, end. But I was still traumatized. And I stayed quite cognitive during the whole thing. Stayed calm, talked to him, etc. It ended with us going outside to talk only he was stupid enough to go first and I locked the door behind him and stayed inside.
Hi kati, How do I get help for depression when I'm still functioning? No one is taking me seriously and it's getting worse?
Hi Kati,
I want to first start off by saying I am sorry for asking all these questions recently it is just I am feeling really lost and confused and I am not able to see my therapist.
I just have a few questions.
1.Can you talk about what high functional depression is, what it feels like, and how to explain it to other people because when I tell someone I am depressed they tend to de-validate me because I can function in a day. But they seem to think that all people that have depression just lay around all day. This de-validation only makes things harder because I have my own thoughts of my feelings not being valid and it only helps encourage them and makes me feel even worse.
2. In relationships I tend to push people away. However I am currently friends with someone and every time I try to push her away they confront me and tell me how they aren’t going anywhere. I know this is a good thing but I can’t seem to think that way and this person is just making me really mad. Is it normal to be mad that they wont let me push them away?
3. Now I have not felt the simple joys in life in along time stuff like oh I find happiness when I listen this kind of music or read this book or watch this movie/show. I was wondering is it possible to no longer know what you love doing or like. Honestly I do a lot of things because the people around me do and not really because I like to. I can’t even seem to chose favorite anything or when someone ask me what are some things I enjoy doing and I honestly don’t know. I just feel so numb and going through the motions that I really don’t know. I feel ridiculous but I just don’t know how to explain it or if it is me just telling myself that I just cant find enjoyment in anything. So is it possible to not be able to enjoy anything anymore.
Please help.
Daeley Havlak ++
Hey Daeley :)
1. Have you watched my dysthymia video?? I find that that can help people understand that depression can be there and we can still go about our day.. but that doesn't mean we feel good or enjoy anything. Maybe that will help a bit :) xoxo
2. Of course it's normal!! Pushing people away is you defense mechanism and helps you feel safe.. when they don't let you do it, you have a reaction because you are left feeling unsafe, icky, or whatever it is that makes you want to push people away. You could try explaining this to them so they can understand your process and why you get upset but are actually thankful for them :) xoxo
3. That honestly sounds like dysthymia.. and I would see a therapist and psychiatrist asap! They can help you so much with this and get a better handle on your depression so that you can go back to enjoying things in life and feeling happy :) xoxo
Shake it Off is much like the song
Oh my goodness. Why didn’t I find this sooner? I think this helps understand DID more too. So now if you imagine your little memory ball, from Inside Out, fragment and store with parts of the personality into places of the brain that project our being 🤯🤯🤯🤯 we can see where these storage places bring out alters or fragmented selfs with only those memories & personality traits & grow with those developing names & stuff. I’m totally mind blown here. So the amdyalga ugh probably misspelled helps people like me with defense. O.o Wow. I know it’s more than that but still enlightening to see it that way too.
I have freezing response... and I have been dealing w body memories
My trauma started before I had language. Currently my RSA is running 100 mph out of control. Making connections to everything and it wont shut off. Causing me to shut down and freeze that I cant seem to escape.
Hey Kati! It is me again. So two question.
1. How do we believe that we have an illness? It is especially hard for me to believe DID as I don't perceive it. I know it happens but it doesn't feel "real". How do I know that I actually dissociate?
2. How do I tell someone that I have DID? There doesn't seem to be a right way to tell someone. Everyone is scared of DID due to Split and now I feel like people won't believe me because I am not a dangerous person.
Thank you Kati. I love your videos!
I found the easiest way to tell someone about my DID is through writing, if I tried to talk I'd end up dissociating to much or someone else would come out, writing, especially writing it out with the help of a therapist, really really helped.
As for how to know/believe you've got DID, that's a struggle for practically everyone who's got it, I've been diagnosed and in treatment for years now and i still struggle sometimes. Idk
-Fellow DID haver
Hey Abigail :) 1. If there are times where you don't remember what you did, or have a hard time connecting to yourself,/what you are saying or doing, etc. That could easily be a period of dissociation. The more you work on it, the better you will get at noticing it. xox
2. Maybe explaining it like I did in my DID video.. how it's a way for our brain to help us survive a trauma. That way they can see that you may need to "go away" from an experience or create a tougher version of yourself to survive. I find that makes it a bit more clear to people. I hope that helps! xoxo
Hey Abigail :) 1. If there are times where you don't remember what you did, or have a hard time connecting to yourself,/what you are saying or doing, etc. That could easily be a period of dissociation. The more you work on it, the better you will get at noticing it. xox
2. Maybe explaining it like I did in my DID video.. how it's a way for our brain to help us survive a trauma. That way they can see that you may need to "go away" from an experience or create a tougher version of yourself to survive. I find that makes it a bit more clear to people. I hope that helps! xoxo
Kati Morton thank you Kati!
Anybody know if this would help someone suffering from derealization I’ve been dealing with it for the past 8 months and need help
ScrewedUpEssay95 I think it possibly could. I have it too, and trauma processing gets rid of dissociation
Thank you so much for this I was reading about it the other day and wanted to know more! Thank you to Alexa for doing all these great videos! Also quick question, is it weird that I get jealous that my therapist has other clients? 💜
No that's not weird at all.. I have had many clients who feel that way. It often has to do with attachment. I would bring this up with your therapist if you can.. cause it can be helpful to figure out where it comes from and process through that too :) xoxo
Kati Morton thank you so much! I'm seeing her tomorrow so I'll definitely try! 💜
Hi ! So I had a traumatic experience almost 3 months ago where I had a panic attack in the middle of the night and it was pretty intense and felt like nothing was “real” around me. The next day I still felt kinda weird but I just let it be. I think my minds in panic mode because it was so traumatic that it left me feeling kind of disconnected from everyone and thinking nothing is “real.” I also haven’t been eating as much as I used to and don’t enjoy doing the things I used to love. The experience I had is making me really depressed and I’m someone who’s VERY positive. I go to therapy now it’s been a month, she said I have severe anxiety and symptoms of depersonalization. She’s licensed for psychotherapy and has a lot of clients going through similar like me. I’m wondering if maybe this method would be better ? So I could release what happened to me and move on with my life. Don’t want to live in fear, I’m someone who’s fearless and this has put me in a mental fog. Thanks :)
after The way you started by sharing your hunting experience I couldn't continue to watch it was actuallytriggering for me how you talk about trauma and compare with beings you traumatized 😢
Hey Kati, how do I cope with depression when it's just getting worse? I hate when people bring up my sadness but I can't fake it. I feel trapped because I can't just snap out of it🙄
Are you seeing any professionals?? I would reach out and let them know it's getting worse.. there are so many things we can do to help, we often just need to know you aren't feeling better, and are actually feeling worse. Getting professional help can help SO much :) xoxo
Kati Morton unfortunately, my only resource right now is my school psychologist. She's kind of someone I can vent to but I don't think it's helping. I plan on seeking therapy when I go to college later this year
I'd check out if there are any community counseling clinics in your hometown! I went to one as a student (limited financial resources) and I think I only wound up paying $5 a week because they had a sliding scale payment plan (that you didn't need health insurance for). If you feel like you're getting worse and you don't think talking to your school counselor is helping, finding another accessible and cheap option for therapy would be great.
Gabor Maté
Can you do a video about why the abused person is angry? Every time I try to bring up the abuse with my therapist or my husband's I get shut down for responding in an angry way. Instead of listening to me, I'm told I'm angry or have anger issues. I've been dealing with my husband for 20 years, of course I'm angry, no one is listening to me! He turns on the waterworks and looks like the victim. He has Bipolar 1, rapid cycling. Always in a manic, depressive or mixed state. If he ever had remission, it's never lasted long enough for me to tell. I've been diagnosed with clinical depression. Feel like I'm always walking on eggshells.
Honest question: did you shoot the animals in their "safe cove"? Does it not feel like you were passing on trauma by shooting animals?
I feel weird whenever people talk about how trauma affects people. It makes me feel like I didn't experience trauma? My former therapist said a few times how amazed she was that I don't exhibit any abnormal behavior which in turn made me feel like I should? Like, was what I went through not bad enough? I remember when I was younger and for instance, my adoptive parents were screaming at me, I'd just go into my head but it wasn't like I was completely gone. I was just... watching it all happen on a TV screen. I remember when at a certain point I started to make an effort to remember every detail. Every punch, every slap, every word. I wanted almost desperately to remember every detail so if someone ever did ask me what was happening they couldn't tell me I was lying. I just want to be believed because everything else about me doesn't show any signs that I had to go through what I went through. It's stupid, I almost feel like a failure for NOT having been more deeply affected by what happened. The only thing that remains consistently confusing is age when things happened. I can only guess based on how tall I was for instance when standing next to a chair. Which then makes me feel stupid again because how can I not know this?! Ah...
Dr. Alexa needs to learn why animals shake after traumatic experience with the predator. It's about the adrenalin which is released and needs to be metabolized. Biology 101
what if the client has CPTSD? is this sort of treatment plausible for someone whos had chronic trauma? How would that look?