Substance Use Disorders are plaguing our society. The treatment and management of substance use or co-occurring disorders can be a tedious and lengthy endeavor to say the least. However, great headway is being made in the field. By addressing the underlying issues that may be driving the substance abuse, such as trauma, recovery specialists are more hopeful. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a technique being used by many in the treatment of Substance Use Disorder and co-occurring trauma.
Undiagnosed trauma and PTSD imprison many individuals. Experiencing a traumatic event at some point in your life is common. However, not all will go on to develop full-blown PTSD or anxiety. Unfortunately, there are many who are unable to process trauma in a healthy way and do go on to seek out methods to quell the pain on their own. All too often, some turn to substances or unhealthy addictive behaviors to distract from or dull the pain associated with the unresolved trauma. This entrenched trauma puts one in a constant state of fear and stress. There is a continued state of fight, flight, or freeze that prevents one from obtaining a state of calm or rejuvenation. Essentially, you can become “stuck” in this trauma response. When one is “stuck” in the flight/flight response, one may experience symptoms of anxiety, panic, inability to relax, digestive problems, emotional flooding, chronic pain, sleeplessness, and hostility/rage. When one is “stuck” in the freeze response, one may experience symptoms of depression, lethargy, chronic fatigue, disconnection, complex syndromes, pain, low blood pressure, and digestive problems. Over time, this kind of stress leads to a breakdown in body, mind and spirit.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) was developed by Peter A. Levine, PhD to address the effects of trauma. Levine developed this approach after observing that prey animals, whose lives are routinely threatened in the wild, are able to recover readily by physically releasing the energy they accumulate during stressful events. Humans, on the other hand, often override the body’s biological capacity of re-regulating the nervous system due to feelings of shame and pervasive thoughts, judgments, and fears. Somatic Experiencing aims to help people move past the trauma by supporting the body’s natural capacity to release traumatic stress and re-regulate.
The Autonomic Nervous System and Somatic Experiencing Theory
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is put into action when we’re faced with a threat. When a threat to body, mind, or spirit is perceived, human beings kick into survival mode. We mobilize a fight or flight response, resulting in an increased capacity to defend ourselves or flee. When fight or flight is not effective, the body goes into the freeze response, a protective dissociative state. Usually after the threat is extinguished, we tend to calm down and recover. Our heart rate and breathing return to normal, and we can relax and return to normal functioning. However, Somatic Experiencing experts contend that negative symptoms of trauma—such as anxiety, hyper-vigilance, aggression, and shame—result from denying the body the opportunity to fully process the traumatic event. Over time, this can lead many to self medicate with substances or addictive behavior in order to relieve oneself from the pain and shame of the trauma.
Method of Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing sessions involve the introduction of small amounts of traumatic material and the observation of a client’s physical responses to that material. A trained therapist tracks the client’s nervous system during the therapy session, watching for physical cues of unresolved trauma, such as increased heart rate, shallow breathing, or changes in skin tone. The therapist also checks in with the client to assess body sensations that may be difficult to observe, such as chest heaviness or dizziness and explores persistent negative thoughts and feelings such as self-blame and shame. The therapist proceeds with caution and skill, supporting the nervous system to fully process the trauma and rebalance, while ensuring that an individual is not re-traumatized. Dr. Levine goes on to explain the therapy by stating:
“You're not actually exposing the person to a trauma—you're restoring the responses that were overwhelmed, which is what led to the trauma in the first place.” - Dr Levine
Trauma and substance use often go hand in hand. Getting treatment for both is key to a successful recovery program. If you or your loved one is suffering from a substance use disorder please reach out for help. With a thorough assessment, a skilled practitioner can get to the root of your problem and recommend several treatment options that can help. Somatic Experiencing may be what can make the difference in your life today.
