Days, months, years, or even decades pass and there are moments in between that are forgotten, yet when memories come back, they are still alive. Memories don't die or fade away, sometimes we intentionally choose to disassociate, ignore, or put them in a closed place where no one can reach them. Or that we, humans think it will. Furthermore, sometimes we forget that memories can run the present when realities become delusional and triggers manifest in the present actions and behaviors. Humans become more overloaded with life stressors, past trauma exposure, violence, and betrayals. Some choose to deny all that happened and store their emotions, and others shut down while others become hypervigilant, hyper-aroused, aggressive, and violently, defensive against whoever reminds them of their past trauma. Hence humans become trapped in the past and their actions impact their present harshly. Relationships fall down, maladaptive behaviors become the numbing, the escape of their overwhelming emotions, and another truth to be reminded of that the eye collects mostly 80% of sensory somatic sensations and messages. Whoever or whatever surrounds them is seen with the lens of past trauma, the sympathetic, autonomic, and limbic reactivity projecting on the present. The Psychophysiology of trauma is complex as no one on earth hasn't gone through traumatic events either in their childhood, teenage, or even adulthood. Trauma dwells in the cell membrane changing the gene expression, and the physiology of the human being, and physiology influences mental health allowing incoherence in thinking and actions. No one is immune from trauma exposure whether at home or work. Humans carry their negative experiences within them wherever they go. If we deny the role of trauma in relationship dysfunction, the high rate of workplace turnover, chaotic communications, cornering one another, and impulsivity are the norm in facing situations. Trauma manifests itself in heavy drinking, overeating, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune, hypertension, and even infertility. Trauma presents itself in high violence rate, poor decision-making, or even slight headache, vomiting, nausea, or even punishing oneself. Trauma is shown in risky behaviors, inability to complete work day, or relate to anyone around. The human connection becomes either a heavy burden, avoidance, or toxic as projection in place, power struggle, conflicts, unsettled environment, and dysfunction continue till the breakdown point.
However, on the other side, there are those who realized how trauma destroys human life and battered self, unable to stand up for themselves, yet there was a loud cry within that had the power to break this pattern of dysfunction and start to heal and restore the stolen days, years or even decades. Yet, the journey of healing is faced with new challenges as the desire to heal and restore don't align with the majority who live on traumatizing and retraumatizing those who don't have the power, authority, or materialistic standard which the world normally evaluates humans with. Their voice becomes a threat to whoever wants to keep the cycle of retraumatization as they feed on that feeling of oppressing, suppressing, and humiliating others as once done unto them. Hence projection is in place until the human themselves realize this pattern of trauma projection and influencing their life the way they don't wish to be. The voice within is more rebellious than ever, as life is a gift from God. God is the only owner of our lives, so why do humans assign themselves owners over others' lives? Again trauma manifests in relationship dynamics, choices, and decision making. Body language tells a lot about whether the person is a dominant or subordinate, the oppressor, or the oppressed, the abuser or the abused, and with every motion the eye is the data collector to sends it back to the brain to analyze the patterns and the body execute the behavior, action, or even the language earned to survive, maladapt, and stored anger from the past, and their trauma exposure. Hence, safety, trust, and rapport aren't in place, and the humans either fight, fight, freeze, or feign. The arrhythmic tone of voice, body language, and facial expression all are projecting the past not the present, taking away the hope installed within. The journey of healing brings to us the forgotten truth to control the present and delay the process of healing. However, once the pattern is identified there has to be a plan of action, determination to overcome this defeat of the past, and bring the self into the moment of the present moment and slow down, then move with steady steps no matter how slow it could be, day by day it will change the course, and will be the discourse for the future to be attentive and in coherent with your thoughts. It takes lots of determination and willingness to heal to let it be, the moment of anger, rebellious, dissatisfaction, discontent, grief, sadness, or anxiousness to be, and move on, don't deny, store, or seek numbness, let the emotions to be and acknowledge them, let them be free out of your body, thoughts, and soul and walk, keep walking it will be worth it. To acknowledge the trauma requires an inherently nonclinical relational approach prior to any further step toward resolving past trauma. While adults have to take personal responsibility to address their unresolved trauma, younger ones require someone who is ready to listen, be present, and understand where they are at, what environment they are in, and what triggers by other humans or physical environment control the day. Acknowledging trauma projection in daily communications is essential to understanding your approach to standing for yourself, don't expect someone will stand for you when you are surrounded by a trauma projections environment, and there are unresolved traumas in place, it is a lost battle. Understand your own, work on resolving them, and make sure you are not the one who is projecting onto others and retraumatizing others with no fault of their own. Seeing the world through the lens of Trauma-informed care will be a good start. Peace. By ME, "The old ancient woman."
