BEFRIENDING THE BODY Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies. Being frightened means that you live in a body that is always on guard. Angry people live in angry bodies. The bodies of child-abuse victims are tense and defensive until they find a way to relax and feel safe. In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past. In my practice I begin the process by helping my patients to first notice and then describe the feelings in their bodies–not emotions such as anger or anxiety or fear but the physical sensations beneath the emotions: pressure, heat, muscular tension, tingling, caving in, feeling hollow, and so on. I also work on identifying the sensations associated with relaxation or pleasure. I help them become aware of their breath, their gestures and movements. All too often, however, drugs such as Abilify, Zyprexa, and Seroquel, are prescribed instead of teaching people the skills to deal with such distressing physical reactions. Of course, medications only blunt sensations and do nothing to resolve them or transform them from toxic agents into allies. The mind needs to be reeducated to feel physical sensations, and the body needs to be helped to tolerate and enjoy the comforts of touch. Individuals who lack emotional awareness are able, with practice, to connect their physical sensations to psychological events. Then they can slowly reconnect with themselves. Anonymous
About This Quote

I believe that the most cruel thing that can happen to someone is to be unable to feel or express their emotions. Even more cruel would be if people were unable to feel their own emotions, but had no idea that they were truly feeling anything. When people are unable to feel their emotions, they often misinterpret the sensations in their bodies as a sign that something is wrong. They may even consider it a sign of illness.

In order for people to begin the process of healing from depression and anxiety, they need to become more aware of their selves and know how they’re feeling. They need to know when they’re happy and when they’re sad before they can make healthy decisions about their lives.

Source: The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, And Body In The Healing Of Trauma

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