HELP SURVIVORS TO THRIVE

The definition of somatic response is as follows: "that sensation in the body deriving from an external event, this can be a muscle twinge, a poking sensation in the belly, a tightness or tenderness of certain part of the body". Essentially what and how our body feels, responds or primordially reacts to an external event that puts us in a situation of danger or severe stress. 

We all know what I mean if I say that when we are angry we may feel a "knot in the stomach" or something that feels like a "punch in the guts". 

Those sensations are the body's "ways of feeling" to the events in itself. Oftentimes, when those situations are repeated over time, we are not able to release those physical feelings, therefore we "store" them, and our body may get permanently constricted in those physical memories.

Those feelings may show themselves as muscle spasms or stiffness, headache, fatigue, nausea and more.

The movement of the somatic response starts as "awareness" of "what is in the body" being expressed in dance and or exercises in order to get deeper into the feelings and how they express themselves. The list of people that have influenced and contributed to this movement could be long and honestly, a bit of a "mouth full".

The somatic movement began across the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century in the USA. So to make the topic easier to understand...The movement was first noted in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century and many professionals did approach this as a "novelty" and in several cases not giving it the right weight or importance. 

During the following decades many professionals ceased to look into it whilst  others kept on experimenting and so, developing techniques and knowledge.

Now, we need to make a remark, a distinction if you want, because the way that we use words at the present time does not always represent the actual original meaning of them. 

We have almost forgotten the meaning of the word somatic, unfortunately mixing it with other words directed to address the influence of  "new-age", "hippy" and son.

The somatic method implies to look at what physical feelings are present in the body utilizing a specific moment. It requires "present moment awareness" and to be honest, nowadays we are captured in short lived, almost instantaneous  information and gratifications therefore our perception of "the present moment" is very much fleeting.

Since disturbing feelings often show up in the body in debilitating ways, what nowadays is somatic therapy, aims to drain those emotions of their power. Relieving pain and other manifestations of stress, such as disrupted sleep or an inability to concentrate as well as physical ailments.

These feelings can express themselves in a variety of conditions and circumstances that somatic therapy can help alleviate. 

They include

• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• complicated grief;
• depression;
• anxiety;
• trust and intimacy issues;
• self-esteem problems, and so many more.
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"Anxiety can lead to muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and back,". It can cause a lot of discomfort, pain, stiffness, and trouble with daily activities. If we're experiencing chronic anxiety or distress, it's almost like we constantly have our foot on the "accelerator pedal". It's not a panic attack, but we are not able to take a break from it, and there's a constant wear and tear on the body.

Typical talk therapies such as CBT engage only the mind, not the body also, encouraging people to become aware of disturbing thoughts and behaviour patterns and work to change them.

But in somatic therapy, the body is the starting point to achieve healing. 

This form of therapy cultivates an awareness of bodily sensations, and teaches people to feel safe in their bodies while exploring thoughts, emotions, and memories.

Cognitive behavioural therapies, CBT, focus on conscious thought and work on challenging thoughts in relation to anxiety and behaviours, helping desensitize people from uncomfortable sensations. 

But somatic therapy is more about relieving the tension, as opposed to desensitizing people to it.

Even mindfulness meditation, which some experts consider somatic in nature, differs in one key way from somatic therapy, mindfulness meditation lets any feeling or emotion come into our minds without judgement, as opposed to classifying it in specific bodily sensations that are happening.

A somatic therapist helps people release damaging, pent-up emotions in their body by using various mind-body techniques. These can vary widely, ranging from acupressure and hypnosis to breath-work, dance and even acting.

Other techniques are just as integral but aren't "household" terms. Some on this list include:

• Body awareness: which helps people recognize tension spots in the body as well as conjure calming thoughts.
• Pendulation: which guides people "to swing" from a relaxed state to emotions similar to their traumatic experiences and then back to a relaxed state.
• Titration: which guides people through a traumatic memory while noting any accompanying physical sensations and addressing them in real time.
• Resourcing: which helps people recall resources in their lives that promote feelings of calm and safety, such as special people and places.

The definition of holistic health care is as follows: "Holistic healthcare addresses alignment of the mind, body and soul in order to live fully and in the present moment".

As mentioned above, nowadays we are bombarded by misconceptions, easy fix, "feel good now" ways of healing and we define the word holistic as a synonym of "quackery", "alternative" and less credible.

Luckily the modern day medicine is re-discovering and expanding the use of holistic medicine but, I have to say, the dept and knowledge of this varies from professional to professional.

For example, when I go to the neurologist we don't just talk about my physical symptoms but also about how my mental state is affected and in returns does affects my health. 

Although this is not investigated in details; to know that I suffer from CPTSD as well as having a congenital heart condition, does help the neurologist understand the correlations between my heart defect, the events of two strokes happened at a very young age and the way my body respond to stress. Moreover the connection with CPTSD and my neurological symptoms helps him understand the fact that my mental state may exacerbate my other symptoms and so on, in a pattern that looks very much like a cycle.

The importance of a holistic approach is becoming more and more valued by professionals across the country even if sometimes this needs to be introduced by the patient.

In the case of domestic abuse a holistic approach is the best approach that can be used because the repeated stress and traumas not only affect our mind but leave heavy "marks" on our body too.

When we approach any type of therapy during or following domestic abuse it is paramount to combine help and support for the body as well as for the mind.

For example, we may be given medications to help with anxiety or depression,  but if we neglect to look at what is happening in the body, the medications would not be completely effective in helping with the issue. 

We need, for example, to take the medications for anxiety, address the cause of the anxiety as well as addressing the triggers and developing coping mechanisms. 

Understand what, when and how the anxiety is "expressing" in the body, also including the physical feelings. 

Only when we look at the entire picture we will be able to work towards positive and lasting results.