How to use mindfulness to cope with trauma by Kathleen Chandler, LMSW PMH-C

If you are coping with trauma, mindfulness can help. Establishing a mindfulness practice can slow down reactivity, increase your attention (and connection) to your body, and change the structure of your brain by building more connections and pathways. Eventually, you will have greater emotional regulation and the capacity to better tolerate triggers and life stressors.

It should be mentioned that mindfulness, if not used carefully, can exacerbate trauma symptoms. The following advice is meant to help guide you through a trauma-sensitive mindfulness practice.

Know your Coping Tools

Before you begin practicing mindfulness make sure you know what coping tools soothe you best. Square breathing, tapping, safe-calm place, listening to music, going for a walk, or noticing your five senses? Be ready to do whatever works for you!

Make sure you feel safe.

Find a physical location that feels safe to you and only practice mindfulness with people that you feel safe with.

Stay within your Window of Tolerance

Stay within your ideal emotional zone. Pay attention to your body and your emotions. Make sure you aren’t pushing it! Don’t begin mindfulness if you are already outside of your Window of Tolerance. Stop immediately if you feel you are starting to venture outside the window: racing heart, intense anxiety, dissociation, have blurry vision, start sweating, or feel like you can’t catch your breath.

Apply the Brakes when needed!

Open your eyes, change your posture, take slow deep belly breaths, structure breaks for yourself, make physical contact with your body (touch your legs, tap on your temples), and engage in self soothing.

Remember that mindfulness may look a bit different for you. You may need to practice with your eyes open and stay aware of your surroundings. That is fine! You can use guided meditation if you feel you need to ease into it.

It may be best for you to start with an informal mindfulness practice. That means you bring awareness to daily tasks such as eating, exercising, doing chores, or any other daily action. For example, you could start with brushing your teeth. As you brush, try to bring all your attention, awareness, and senses to the task. What does the handle feel like, what is the texture of the bristles, what sounds do you hear, what does it smell and taste like, etc.

When you have identified your coping tools, have a safe space, know your window of tolerance, and understand how to apply the brakes, you may be ready to begin your mindfulness practice. Here’s how to start:

Take a few moments to center yourself and enter the zone of “just being”.

Begin by drawing your attention to your breath. Feel your body and notice whatever comes up. Allow any thought, emotion, or physical sensation to be exactly as it is.

Just notice. This is not a time to analyze, judge, or solve problems. Just notice whatever comes up.

In the beginning, short sessions are best. 30 seconds to 2 minutes is plenty.

If you find that you would like to explore mindfulness with a professional, therapists at Niyyah Counseling are available to help!

How Social Media Influences War Trauma By Nabiha Hasan, LMSW

Wars, conflicts, and disagreements have been ongoing from the beginning of time. Traumatic experiences resulting from war trauma have impacted a countless number of individuals, whether resulting in temporary symptoms or potentially long-term PTSD. What has changed over time, however, is the presence, influence, and impact of social media through many decades. Social media is a huge influencer of war trauma, and the exploration of the many ways it is impactful will be covered in this article.

Images. Pictures and images on social media are heavily circulated. Regardless of which war the picture was taken from, the heartbreaking truth and reality is that images derived from war zones and disasters resemble each other greatly. There are definitely symbolic images taken from wars in particular which may resemble that specific event, such as the image of the 2-year-old Syrian child’s body which was found ashore after his family tried to flee their country as refugees. The circulation of these images is profound, and once an image is broadcast to social media, it will remain there forever, and even if deleted at some point later on, traces can still be found (through screenshots, comments, etc.). 

Selective coverage. The news is very particular with what it chooses to broadcast. There are numerous wars and conflicts which receive little to no attention, such as the Myanmar conflict, the Sudanese conflict, and the Palestinian-Israeli war, just to name a few. Social media can exacerbate this war trauma due to inhabitants of these countries or individuals of these ethnicities feeling that their experiences are unaccounted for, go unnoticed, or are invalidated. The inevitable biases of the news and journalism industry are very impactful in exacerbating war trauma, due to the lack of coverage of particular wars/conflicts/uprisings.

Multiple voices. The wide range of voices, as well as accessibility to practically anyone and everyone’s opinion, can be very trigger-some for many. With TikToks, Instagram, Snapchat Stories, Facebook Lives, and every other social media outlet in between, people are open and free to give their opinions about anything and everything happening in society. Public voices are not in line with those of everyone in society, inevitably so, and hearing/circulating opinions about one’s stance on wars and current events can be very triggering for someone who feels a particular way about a war, thereby triggering war trauma. Individuals commenting on wars/conflicts often may not have enough information or could be biased in the information they have.

For more information or insight on how social media influences war trauma, please feel free to check out additional blogs on our website. Our team of therapists have wonderful insight and experience working with a variety of populations and in many different realms, and take pride in writing about various, relevant topics to society. If you feel that you have been impacted by war trauma, particularly as a result of social media or otherwise, do reach out to us at Niyyah Counseling to find out more about a therapist who may be the best fit for you; the bridge to wellness is just moments away.

Identifying and Coping with Birth Trauma By Nabiha Hasan, LMSW

Becoming a mother is potentially the most life changing thing that a woman can go through, and becoming a father serves a similar feeling. From the start of finding out that one is pregnant to Googling every single symptom there is in the books, to experiencing childbirth, motherhood is something many women look forward to and can be very exciting. Birth trauma, however, is not something that anyone can anticipate or prepare for - and can leave a lasting impact on parents. Identifying and coping with birth trauma will be the focus in this article, as well as how to do your best in moving on from the trauma going forward. 

The past does not define the future. This is possibly one of the most powerful things you can tell yourself. What your previous birth trauma was, whether that was an emergency c-section, shoulder dystocia, stillborn, miscarriage, brain damage, infertility, hearing of someone else who experienced a child having a physical/intellectual disability, or any other birth trauma not mentioned, you have valid and justifiable reasons to be traumatized and worry for your next birth, should you decide to have any more children. Yes, it was scary, and you are fearful of it happening again, but just because it did happen in the past doesn’t mean that it will happen again.

Meditate. Utilize a combination of birth affirmations, journaling exercises, and coach yourself into positive self-talk to prepare for the upcoming birth. You can search the web for endless resources and recordings of birth affirmations, for example, which when replayed, will leave a lasting impact on your mind and body. Your body was made for this, and although you did experience an occurrence of birth trauma, you are working toward helping yourself overcome it to work on moving forward.

Stay in the present moment. Acknowledge that in the here and now, you are alright, you made it this far, and you will continue to work on staying in the present while preparing for the future the best you can. Dwelling in the past will exacerbate your trauma, and as difficult as it sounds, it is crucial to help your mind and body move past whatever happened. It is easier said than done, yes, but it is not impossible.

Dads. Fathers and males don’t get as much attention with issues related to birth trauma, but dads are very worthy of validation. Yes, the birth trauma is different for fathers as they aren’t the main carriers, but can still leave a lasting impact on their emotions and fear for the future. Dads may feel powerless, invalidated, or try to focus more on the trauma of their partner.

Talk it out. Talk through your emotions, feelings, and fears. At Niyyah Counseling, we have a wide range of therapists who specialize in various forms of trauma, and are happy to pair you up with someone who will be a good match. You are welcome to reach out and schedule an appointment or consult with a therapist to get a feel for the process and ask any questions you may have. Additionally, you can check out our other blogs to read about topics related to birth trauma, infertility, and parenting. Your mental health and past experiences deserve to be validated, treated, and healed - help is just moments away.

How to Cope When Current Events Bring Up Past Trauma by Kara Bradford, LCDC, LMSW

Recent science tells us that when we experience something traumatic, our brain’s limbic system activates the “fight or flight” response. The “fight or flight” response is triggered by an acute threat to survival that triggers us to either react to, or retreat from, the threat. From there, the limbic system stores the memory in our subconscious in order to protect us from future traumatic events related to the original threat. This is an important protective factor as far as survival is concerned; however, some situations that are not life threatening can provoke the same physiological response without our conscious effort and can cause distress. With how quickly we receive information in our world today, it is important to remember that there are ways to help ourselves cope with triggers bringing up past trauma. Coping with past trauma can look like allowing yourself to experience the feelings and emotions that you’re having instead of avoiding them; however, in the moment, if they are too distressing, practicing the following 6 things came to mind, spelling the word “eclipse.” So, when current events bring up past trauma just remember the word ECLIPSE:

Engage. Enrich your daily routine by engaging in healthy activities that are positive, rewarding, meaningful, or that bring you joy, even when you don’t want to.  

Connect. Continue to stay plugged in and connected to people who make you feel safe and valued. Connect with the people that bring calming energy, that create happiness, or with someone that understands what you are going through.

Limit. When coping with trauma triggered by current events, it is important to consider limiting exposure to media, including social media, especially if it contributes to your distress. Limiting screen time can also help with overstimulation and allow the brain to rest.

Inquire. Consider reaching out to family, friends, or community members and inquiring about what you may be able to do to provide some help to them. Of course, always consider reaching out to a mental health professional that can help you process your feelings or emotions triggered by current events. Depending on the severity of distress, there are also hotlines that can offer immediate support. 

Practice. Self-care has become a real buzzword recently, but it has always been important. Make sure that you are practicing self-care by engaging in calming activities like listening to music, writing in a journal, practicing deep breathing exercises, or reading inspirational text.

Sense. Be aware of your surroundings and use your senses to ground yourself in the present moment. A common grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method in which you use all 5 senses to put yourself in the current situation. Grounding allows you to activate coping skills to help get through past traumas being triggered.

Exposure. Use the exposure to these current events as a way to gain insight into what triggers thoughts of past trauma. Take time to document feelings, emotions, and mood daily to help track pre- and post-exposure feelings, emotions, and mood.

Though the ECLIPSE method cannot change the events of the past, it can contribute to alleviating the present. Though it may only provide temporary relief, it could buy you some time until you can reach out to the appropriate professional for help. Our therapists at Niyyah provide trauma-focused therapy and most are able to offer EMDR therapy–reach out today!