Scarcity and unpredictability cause dis-stress and dis-ease. In a world inherently full of scarcity and unpredictability, most humans experience unmanageable dis-stress that manifests as a unique trauma response. Trauma is the norm, not the exception.
Society generally accepts this truth when it comes to tangible or actual scarcity and unpredictability, including a lack of:
Basic needs like shelter, food and water.
Safety and nonviolence.
Financial security
Health and wellness
Bodily autonomy, self-determination, and independence
Access to resources and support
Time (for rest and play)
Skills and abilities
Society often struggles to accept this truth when it comes to intangible or perceived scarcity and unpredictability, including a lack of:
Respect
Equity
Inclusion
Accommodation
Compassion
Attunement
Authenticity
Belonging
Social connection
Flexibility
Resilience
Self-esteem
Joy and comfort
Many others
During periods of acute or chronic dis-stress, our bodyminds respond adaptively by developing patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving in an effort to keep us safe from all of the perceived and actual dangers of the world. This may manifest as:
Traditional trauma responses: freeze, flight, fight, fright, flag, faint.
Other trauma responses: Fawning, acquiescing, or people-pleasing.
Diminished capacity of notice, identify, express, and effectively respond to our bodily sensations, emotions, or thoughts (sometimes referred to as dissociation, numbing, or alexithymia).
A hypervigilant threat-sensitive nervous system and physiological dysregulation.
Defense mechanisms: avoidance, distraction, projection, displacement, denial, and others.
Unfortunately, our bodyminds don't always respond adaptively during times of abundance and predictability by letting go of these patterns. We may find ourselves stuck in patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are disempowering, misaligned with our values and needs, and prevent us from achieving our goals. This is often because our bodies can’t remember how to achieve an embodied sense of safety via nervous system regulation, and our brains are stuck in a hypervigilant state, perceiving mundane situations as unsafe.
To heal trauma and achieve health-ease, we must minimize scarcity & unpredictability while maximizing abundance & predictability. Luckily, with support from a competent mental health professional, these patterns can be unlearned and replaced with more empowering ones.
By harnessing the power of the mind-body connection and neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow and reorganize itself, we can reteach our bodyminds more empowering patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Through ongoing experimentation with somatic, movement-based, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral interventions, we can rediscover our inner wisdom, reconnect with our authentic self, and regain our sense of self-compassion and self-confidence.
We can develop new paradigms by embracing Radical Openness, or openness to change and a commitment to reframing unwanted or distressing bodily sensations, emotions, or thoughts as opportunities for growth and learning.
With development of new skills related to nervous system and emotional regulation, self-compassion and self-enquiry, authentic social signaling, and assertive self-advocacy, we can create a lifestyle that is aligned with our values and needs.
Contact Colorado Coherence Collective to schedule a Free Initial Consultation to chat more about your needs and the various ways we might be able to meet them.
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