From Trauma to Resilience: The Nervous System's Innate Ability to Recover From Trauma
Presented by: Jonas Nordstrom, Ph.D.
In this presentation, Jonas Nordstrom, Ph.D., explains how evolution has developed the nervous system to not only deal with traumas but also to grow and thrive from them.
When animals in the wild complete the fight, flight, or freeze mechanisms – either by succeeding in escaping from the threat, fighting it off, or simply shaking it off after a freeze response – it seems they are not developing trauma. The same observations have been made in humans – when escaping a dangerous situation, fighting off a perpetrator or after life-threatening events down regulating the nervous system through “discharge tremors”, also called neurogenic tremors.
This presentation discusses:
- Trauma from a neurobiological perspective
- The completion of the fight, flight, or freeze mechanisms
- The purpose of “discharge tremors” in animals and humans
- The polyvagal theory, post-traumatic growth and resilience
- How to support the client in creating a daily “completion routine”
Missed the presentation or want to watch a recap? Watch the recap below or click here. The presentation is also available for download here.