Decoding the Myths: How to Release Trauma from the Body Part 2 🧠

Unraveling Myths and Embracing the Journey: Keys to Overcoming Trauma (7min Read)

TL;DR Summary:

• Debunks myths about trauma recovery.

• Asserts healing is attainable for all, regardless of timing or circumstances.

• Stresses that healing paths vary; no linear or uniform process.

• Highlights that specific resources or conditions aren't prerequisites for healing.

• Encourages embracing the personal healing journey.

• Emphasizes that you're not alone in overcoming trauma.

7 More Myths About Releasing Trauma From the Body

We’re back at it! If you haven’t seen part one, here’s a link to it: Decoding the Myths Part 1.

Since we’ve already talked about how common it is for pseudoscience to take the world by storm, especially when it comes to releasing trauma from the body, I’ll just jump right into the last 7 myths today!

Myth 8: You have to be able to afford certain treatments to be able to release trauma from the body

While certain treatments may be costly, there are numerous self-help practices and community support groups, including online group therapy sessions, that provide affordable or free resources for trauma survivors.

In fact, we have a free community called the Trauma to Transformation Community where you can learn a ton of things for free or very low cost!

​I am very passionate about this myth. I believe these kinds of healing modalities should be accessible to everyone. I'm even working on an AI solution that would be able to help more people through these kinds of things in the future.

This myth undoubtedly came along with the commercialization of healthcare and wellness. 

Causing many to believe that effective treatment necessitates significant financial investment. 

This notion might be perpetuated by the costs associated with professional therapy and specialized treatment programs.

I can assure you that every day new tools and resources are being released from places like Mind, Brain, Body Lab, and others, to help debunk this myth! 

Myth 9: You have to be in a certain physical condition to be able to release trauma from the body

Releasing trauma from the body is not contingent on one's physical condition. 

Adapted practices can cater to various physical limitations, ensuring inclusivity in trauma healing approaches.

The misconception that you need to be in a particular physical condition to effectively address trauma might arise from a couple different things. 

First, somatic therapies often emphasize the role of the body in processing and healing from trauma. 

However, a misinterpretation or oversimplification of these therapies could lead to the belief that one must meet certain physical conditions to benefit from them.

This isn't true, any kind or shape of body can do the things Somatic Experiencing talks about! 

The other thing that contributes to this belief may be the medical model of diagnosis. 

This model often identifies clear physical criteria for diagnosis and treatment. 

When this model is erroneously applied to trauma healing, it might foster the belief that a certain physical condition is a prerequisite for healing, which just isn't true.

Myth 10: You have to be at a certain stage in your healing journey to be able to release trauma from the body

There’s no specific stage in one’s healing journey where trauma release becomes possible. 

Whether employing myofascial release techniques to alleviate muscle tension or engaging in emotional expression, you can explore trauma release at various stages of your healing journey.

The idea that trauma release only occurs at a specific stage in the healing journey has various origins.

Some therapeutic models do outline structured stages of healing. 

These stages might be misinterpreted as rigid, sequential steps, believing that trauma release can only occur at a particular stage.

This just isn't true. I've had clients who have a large bodily release in our first session, and some who don't until the very end. 

The other misunderstanding that this myth may come from is around "readiness." 

The concept of readiness for processing trauma might be misconstrued as needing to reach a certain stage in your healing journey before being able to release trauma.

​While there are some "prerequisites" for releasing trauma, like external and internal safety, this doesn't always happen at a specific stage of healing.

Once you've got these kinds of safety, release can happen at any time as I described above.  

Especially if you’re with a trained professional who can guide you, and help you regulate scary emotions.

Myth 11: You need to shake or tremble to release trauma from the body

FALSE! Although shaking and trembling can be natural responses to trauma, they are not imperative for healing. 

Alternative release techniques like Internal Family Systems, can equally facilitate trauma healing without triggering distress.

Observations of physical responses to trauma, like shaking and trembling, have been noted in various therapeutic practices like Trauma Release Exercises or TRE, Somatic Experiencing or SE, and trauma yoga. 

Videos of these kinds of trauma releases catch the eye, and are great for Youtube views, but have also led to the misconception that such physical responses are necessary for trauma release.​

This just isn't true.

I've had clients that never shake at all. Some people heat up, some people cry, some people yell, others shake, but there's no one-size-fits-all answer to how our bodies will release what's inside of them.

Our job is to create the right environment and safety for our bodies to let go of the things it's been holding on to, and be there for it however it chooses to release. 

Myth 12: You can release trauma from the body overnight

Healing from trauma is a gradual process requiring patience, self-compassion, and perseverance. 

That being said, anyone trying to sell you a “Release Trauma Quick” scheme is a charlatan.

The desire for quick fixes is a human tendency, but there are specific factors that might reinforce this myth in the context of trauma healing. 

For example, we live in a culture that often seeks instant gratification. This cultural norm can be translated into unrealistic expectations for swift healing from trauma.

Also, media portrayals of therapy and healing often oversimplify the process, sometimes showing characters overcoming significant trauma within the span of a single episode or movie.

Another contributor to this myth is the wellness industry marketing products or services with promises of quick or immediate relief from distress, which can perpetuate the myth of overnight healing.

While I do believe that most of these people are trying to help people get out of pain and suffering, I don't believe they're setting their client’s expectations up correctly. 

Finally, a lack of public education on the complexities and time required to heal from trauma might also contribute to the persistence of this myth.

This is why I work so hard to create blogs and content around these topics to shift this narrative so more people can have realistic pathways to healing! 

Myth 13: You have to release all of your trauma from the body at once

Attempting to release all trauma at once can be overwhelming, especially when processing difficult emotions. 

A phased approach, aligned with your emotional and physical capacity, is often more sustainable and less retraumatizing.

The desire for swift resolution to distressing issues could contribute to the myth that trauma can or should be released all at once, despite the fact that healing is a gradual process, as I've touched on multiple times. 

Myth 14: You can't release trauma from the body without professional help

While professional help can expedite the healing process, self-care practices and the support of a nurturing community also play crucial roles. 

Self-guided techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, adequate sleep, nutritious meals, and physical exercise can contribute significantly to trauma release.

The professionalization of mental healthcare and the emphasis on expert intervention might contribute to the belief that professional help is necessary to release trauma from the body.

This can overshadow the potential benefits of self-help practices and community support.​

I am not saying professionals don't play an important role in trauma healing or that they aren't needed at all, I am just saying that there's hope, even if you can't find or afford one!

Healing Is Within Reach

No matter where you are in life, healing from trauma is within your reach.

You don’t need to fit a certain mold or have specific resources to embark on this journey.

Healing is not a race; it's a path that welcomes you at any stage, in any form.

So, shake off the misconceptions, and remember, your strength and resilience are mightier than any myth.

Together, let’s step forward into a world where healing is not just a possibility, but a reality for all.

And until next time, Live Heroically 🧠

Supporting Research:

• Van der Kolk, B. A. (1994). The body keeps the score: Memory and the evolving psychobiology of posttraumatic stress. Harvard review of psychiatry, 1(5), 253-265.

• Wampold, B. E. (2001). The great psychotherapy debate: Models, methods, and findings. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

• van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.

• Greenberg, L. S., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2006). Emotion in psychotherapy: A practice-friendly research review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(5), 611-630.

• Worthington Jr, E. L. (2006). Forgiveness and reconciliation: Theory and application. Routledge.

• Shackleton, V. J., Chahal, K., & Cipriani, A. (2021). Releasing trauma from the body: the role of sensory-motor psychotherapy in posttraumatic stress disorder—a case study. Neuropsychiatry, 11(2), 694-699.

• Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Basic principles, procedures, and research. In J. Wilson & L. Friedman (Eds.), Handbook of treatment for PTSD (3rd ed., pp. 234-260). Guilford Press

• Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. B. D. (2013). Treating complex trauma: A relational approach. Guilford Press.

• Ogden, P. (2006). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment. W. W. Norton & Company

• Worthington, E. L. (2016). Forgiving big: Ten ways to heal from the unforgivable. HarperCollins.

• Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.