I wonder if we are trained to talk about our traumas, from micro-traumas to full-blown PTSD. We start young by telling little kids to “use your words” and some of us spend years (lifetimes) talking to counselors or friends about what’s happening to us.
It’s a lot of talking, a lot of language.
I believe trauma has no words. I believe when bad things happen, our brains take care of us by reacting to help us survive, and down deep, the brain doesn’t use words. It uses instinct, genetics, biology, energy. It uses its own language, which has no words.
When trauma reactions get stuck, they are stuck in the parts of the brain that don’t talk.
We are programmed to think and speak in English, for instance, from age zero onward. (Your first language may be different, or you may know many human languages, but the principle is the same.) Our brains and bodies don’t speak English; they speak biology and energy.
Trauma survivors can learn to understand the language of the brain. It’s like studying any foreign language, and the older you are, the more difficult it is to learn a new language, but not impossible.
Survivors spend a lot of time trying to “translate” the signals from the body and brain into English words. The danger is mis-translation. The frustration is miscommunication. The failure is complete lack of understanding and giving up.
Have you ever in your lifetime said, “I don’t get myself!” Has anyone ever said to you, “I don’t get you!”
If you found this post interesting or thought-provoking, check into joining the Beyond Brave Community where Evelyn has many healing conversations with other survivors like you.