Month: March 2018

As a sexual assault therapist in Texas, One of the most common stuck points I hear from survivors of sexual trauma is that they did not fight back, try to flee, or in many cases even scream out.  For those dealing with the aftermath of trauma, they often use this reaction as a way to shame themselves for the event, saying they could have prevented it.  Perpetrators may even use this reaction as a way to blame survivors, saying that they must have wanted it. Any sexual assault therapist in Texas knows that this is untrue.

There reality is, our bodies have 3 reactions in the face of trauma:  
Fight, Flight or Freeze.  We are all pretty familiar with fight or flight so lets talk about freeze. When we are in a situation in which there seems to be no way out, or fighting would likely only make it worse, the primitive brain takes over and immobilizes us.  Think of our ancestors being attacked by a saber tooth tiger. You aren’t getting away so “playing dead” may be the best option.

In the case of a genuine freeze response, it is NEVER a conscious choice.  Its done completely for self-preservation, physically and even psychologically.  As a sexual assault therapist in Texas, I have heard from most people who freeze reporting some degree of amnesia for the event.  This may be the brainʼs way of protecting itself from being too overwhelmed by whatʼs happening in the body.  It temporarily just checks out.  
SO don’t judge your response if you found yourself frozen in the face of trauma.  Freezing is not consent.  It was self-preservation.

To learn more about trauma and common effects of trauma, visit us at innovarecoverycenter.com. We are a sexual assault therapist in Texas that can help you on your road to recovery.

Mindfulness-based therapies have gained traction over the past three decades.   First pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, and later presented by Marsha Linehan as a key tenant in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), practices for mindfulness in Texas continue to gain empirical support.  Numerous studies have supported mindfulness-based therapy as an effective treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use and eating disorders, to name a few.  Other benefits include improved immune system functioning, enhanced relationships, increased self-compassion, lower blood pressure and greater focus. Mindfulness is defined as “a way of paying attention: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally.”  This includes being open to feelings and thoughts as they arise and just accepting them for what they are, without trying to change them or run away from them.  Given that substance use disorders are inherently avoidant in nature, this ability to stay in the present moment is an integral part of recovery.  

Exercises for mindfulness in Texas can be used to help these individuals see things as they are in the moment, rather than focusing on finding their next “fix” to escape the pain. Mindfulness in Texas also promotes the awareness of the constantly changing state of our minds, bodies and environment.  Rather than fixating on the idea that “this feeling will not go away unless I get high,” individuals learn that feelings really do pass if he or she can just ride them out.  Think of a time when you were in deep emotional pain.  Was it constant? Did it fluctuate?  How long did it last? Helping someone to see that their current state is not everlasting can greatly reduce their need to escape with a temporary high. Individuals also work on acceptance of their urges.  Those in recovery often get discouraged when they have urges to use, as they feel as if they have failed. Techniques for mindfulness in Texas, such as urge surfing, teach acceptance of the urge without judgment. 

Urges are natural. They come and they go.  One must simply be willing to ride them out without acting on them in order to truly understand this aspect of reality. These techniques, combined with other coping skills, provide a framework for recovery that creates self-awareness and mitigates shame by creating a sense of self-acceptance.  It is in that self-acceptance that one can move on to address the issues that first led to the substance use disorder, thus creating a foundation for lasting recovery.