Once a trauma occurs, victims see the world very differently than they used to. This is at least partially due to the fact that the nervous system begins working differently in the body. Stephen Porges, a researcher at the University of Maryland, coined the term neuroception to explain how well someone evaluates danger and safety, depending on the situation they’re facing.
When neuroception is faulty, the challenge is to reset it. Otherwise, their survival techniques will continue to work against them. However, first, it’s important to understand the different levels of safety and how they work.
Three Safety Levels Explained
They body’s nervous system has three states, as far as safety goes. The level of safety that is experienced determines which level is accessed at the time of the situation. Also, each level is closely tied to changes that occur in the central nervous system.
Social Engagement – The first safety level is social engagement. This is the level that is first accessed when we feel threatened. During this stage, we turn to others for help. We ask for support and comfort from the people around us.
At the social engagement level, the vagus nerve is stimulated, along with nearby muscles. These muscles are responsible for controlling the face and facial expressions and our voice boxes. The entire system together is called the ventral vagal complex, or the VVC. When stress occurs, this system is activated. The tone of our voice changes, and our facial expressions change. This meant to be a way that we ask for help.
Fight or Flight – This is the second level of safety. Fight or flight occurs when no one comes to help us in a stressful situation. During this state, people will fight off the attack, or they may attempt to run away from it.
During fight or flight, the sympathetic nervous system steps in. It gets the heart, lungs and muscles ready to take action. As a result, the heart pumps faster, and the voice gets louder and quicker.
Many trauma victims experienced their trauma during this stage.
Freeze or Collapse – If the fight or flight state fails us, we move into the freeze or collapse state. At this point, all attempts to withstand an attack or get away from an attack have been lost. Freeze and collapse is a way for us to preserve and protect ourselves by expending very little energy.
During this stage, the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) is activated. This affects the kidneys, stomach and intestines in the body. Metabolism slows down considerably, and heart rate also slows down. It may be difficult to breathe. During this stage, people will usually fail to experience pain. In fact, the outside world doesn’t even matter anymore.
It is at this final stage where the experience of trauma often takes place.
Deactivating Fight or Flight and Freeze or Collapse
It takes a specific type of treatment in order to deactivate the fight or fight and the freeze or collapse states. The goal is to get back to the social engagement stage. By doing so, trust is able to be developed, and a different part of the nervous system is engaged.
In his book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk talks about how this is done. He cites a number of effective ways, such as:
- Playing with a beach ball with traumatized children
- Asking trauma clients to arrange chairs before a group meeting
- Tapping out a musical rhythm, rather than talking about their traumatic experiences
These have all shown to be very effective in engaging that social engagement system.
How could trauma therapy help you recover?
You may recognize one of the above stages in your own life. Your trauma may feel like something you can’t escape. With the right approach, you can heal appropriately.
If you’d like to talk with a trauma therapist about your situation, and get the help you need, please contact me for an appointment.
