Have you ever noticed that when you are a bit stressed or desperately need to remember something, the memory is not available. How many times have I seen a patient at the grocery store and eek – I can’t remember the name. The patient leaves and then the name pops up.

Chronic pain – emotional or physical pain – becomes a form of inescapable shock. We’ve heard of inescapable shock – rape, violence in the home – domestic or child – being trapped in a car in a motor vehicle accident – But what about inescapable shock with pain?

Many times we go to doctors and health care providers and find that the answers for our pain is not there. That is a form of inescapable shock and if that goes on for an extended period of time, or even a short time, it can cause PTSD

Even hearing bad news, or news you can’t accept – that causes severe stress. Severe stress lights up your limbic system – place where pain is “felt” and the seat of emotions and memory.

Any memory that is very traumatic or associated with inescapable shock – stays fresh in your brain. Unlike memories that are not associated with trauma, these traumatic memories do not change over time. This has been studied for periods of 20 years with no change to the memory.

These memories can be brought to the present to acutely and so vividly – like you are there again. When this happens or in cases of extreme stress – the left side of the brain and the area of expression – shuts down. That is often why we can’t understand what is happening to us. We can’t process what is happening. We can’t access past memories to assure us it’s in the past. The alarm system – the limbic system – doesn’t shut down and the cycle won’t stop

Try Step 2 and practice – I believe it is the most important thing to learn – it can calm the brain down and help the left side of the brain to light up again.

Try the meditation techniques under sleep disorders and the yoga – under PTSD.

Ask questions in the contact form and I will help where I can in the blog.