You aren't crazy!

You aren’t crazy!

Many of us are feeling a little crazy right now. Listen as a great friend (who is also my counselor!) explains why you might be feeling “off” emotionally and physically! Is it triggering past loss? betrayal? grief? trauma?

“ Almost all trauma occurs under a certain set of circumstances. Victims are unable to escape. The circumstances or perpetrator invoke(s) fear in the victim. There is a power struggle that the victim loses – against another person, system, or nature. At some level, a betrayal occurs (I’ll have to explain that one in another blog!). 

The Covid-19 response by our state and federal governments is mimicking conditions under which a lot of us have experienced trauma. In many ways, our pre-Covid lives are being held captive. We have lost, or given up, levels of freedom we previously enjoyed. Authorities, media sources, friends, or family might be using fear to control our actions and beliefs. Maybe you feel scared, but not about getting a virus, and so you are confused. Perhaps you feel a vague desire to ‘fight back’ and feel silly standing ‘ready to go’ in a room by yourself. 

If you have experienced past trauma, the current world circumstances are likely triggering you, perhaps without you being aware. Take a moment to check in on yourself. 

Do you have feelings you can’t put to words? Trauma shuts down your brain’s ability to allow you to speak even if it happened ‘back then’, and you know ‘this is now.’

Does your body make you feel like you are ready to run a marathon or box someone, and yet you are actually exhausted? Your autonomic nervous system, fired up by the amygdala, releases adrenaline and cortisol as your sympathetic nervous system gets you ready to fight or flee. This is unconscious and has nothing to do with energy levels. 

Is your sleep disrupted right now? That adrenaline your body is pumping out is also wreaking havoc on your sleep.  

Do you find yourself mind drifting, checking out, or getting distracted from life via phone games, reading books, or other ‘mindless’ activities? These are mild forms of dissociation – a form of ‘freezing’ – which is a survival strategy your body adopts when fight and flee are not options. 

For a person with a history of trauma, no matter where you are in your healing journey, that trauma can be triggered by circumstances. We learn from trauma researchers that when people hear recordings of themselves telling the story of their abuse or loss, their brain reacts as if the event is happening currently, even though the person is lying peacefully in a fMRI machine fully aware of the present day. You aren’t crazy! This is your brain on trauma.

If you think you are currently experiencing trauma reactions due to Covid-19 circumstances, be kind to yourself and those who live with you.

You aren’t acting wholly like you!

Do the things that help calm your body: wrap one arm over your opposite shoulder to ‘hug’ yourself, play relaxing music, use your favorite oils (Kari recommends Adaptiv, Elevation, Balance and Serenity!), focus on your breathing, and

remember what is true.

When your body remembers it is safe, try writing or talking to a trusted friend to bring your stories and feelings into the light. “

I hope this helps you all like it helps me! My counselor friend that wrote this is very humble and private but I hope to introduce you soon!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kari Turner Davis is a Holistic Life Coach and dōTERRA Essential Oils Educator. A dōTERRA Diamond leader, Kari is passionate about empowering women with the tools they need to reach financial freedom while educating moms to embrace the idea of a natural and non-toxic lifestyle. Kari and her husband, Bobby, live in Naples, Florida with their combined five children. They enjoy boating, spending time together as a family and creating an enjoyable lifestyle that revolves around filling up your tank to serve others in a higher capacity.