Before I allow you into my circle of trust... here's what you need to know...
Trauma Informed TRUST
Triggers
Due to my experiences, my mind and body responds differently in certain situations and environments. I do not always know what situation or environment will cause the reactions. Very often, these are knee-jerk reactions that happen outside of my awareness, which I am not always able to control.
I am hypervigilant, constantly scanning my environment for potential threats. My Fear response is easily activated. This is called being 'Triggered'. I am regularly hi-jacked by unwanted thoughts and feelings. These are known as emotional flashbacks.
Emotional flashbacks can be overwhelming and exhausting. Unlike the flashbacks typically associated with PTSD, emotional flashbacks are 'felt' in the body, rather than seen or heard. While no one else in the room is experiencing these emotions, for me these feelings are visceral and intense, experienced in the Head, Stomach, Heart, Chest, Throat, Liver and Lungs.
The good news is! Through our Trauma Informed training you will learn how to recognise and respond to potential triggers, how to assess and prevent triggers and how to manage them effectively when they occur.
Reassurance
Although I am working on it, I may not yet have learned to recognise and manage the triggers.
Once I am emotionally triggered, stress chemicals flood my nervous system, which over time can becoming damaging to my health. My mind and body are searching for relief.
Through our Trauma Informed training you will learn how gentle reassurance techniques can help to calm my system down and provide immediate relief to prevent overwhelm.
Understanding
A kind face, a soothing voice, inclusion, being seen and heard. Compassion, Congruence and Empathic understanding can help to reduce the stress and keep my mind and body calm.
Through our Trauma Informed training you will learn about Congruence, Unconditional Positive Regard and Empathic Understanding (CUE) and the importance of person-centeredness in the trauma informed approach.
Safety
Once triggered, my fear response has been activated, I am in survival mode and I don't feel safe. A lack of safety is a signature symptom of trauma. I may appear calm or even unresponsive on the surface; my blank expression is sometimes misinterpreted as arrogance, indifference or rudeness, when it is more likely to be a fear response known as Freeze or Immobility Responsibility.
My mind and body are likely to be in a confused, disoriented state of panic and chaos.
Through our Trauma Informed training you will learn grounding and emotional freedom techniques that support people to feel safe.
Truth
Due to years of consistent gaslighting, I may scan the room searching for truth, looking someone I 'feel' and believe I can trust. I am hypervigilant, energy is my first language. If you attempt to pacify me I may interpret this as ingenuous, which is likely to further trigger.
Through our Trauma Informed training you will learn the importance of Truth in language and behaviours in preventing further triggering.
When being Triggered sets off my fear response...
The 4 F's of Fear
Once the fear response kicks in, my behaviour may be difficult to understand. My actions may appear strange, irrational, excessive, unreasonable or even destructive.
During an emotional flashback, My behaviour unconsciously returns to a child-like state. Terms often used to described this state are
"acting like petulant child' 'spoiled brat' and 'spitting the dummy out, or throwing toys out of the pram'.
My language may reflect my inner sensations that may not necessarily fit with your experience of the same situation. I tend to use words and behaviours that reflect my inner turmoil.
When a fear response has been triggered my language and behaviour is tends to reflect one of the 4 F's of Fear.
Through our Trauma Informed Training you will learn about the 4 F's of Fear (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn), how to recognise the response in language and behaviour and techniques to effectively manage it.