Reclaiming Your Body. Suzanne Scurlock-Durana

a significant emotional trauma prior to coming to work. Sally’s beloved cat died after a long night at the vet’s office, and she had an important meeting early the next morning. Sally felt sadness and a heavy heart over her pet’s death, but these emotions had no place in her business meeting. So she held in her emotions and contained her sadness throughout the day. When Sally finally got home, she had a splitting headache and was too exhausted to allow her true feelings to come to the surface and be expressed.

      When the event is a serious physical injury due to a car accident, a fall, a head injury, or any painful trauma to the body, the body’s first response is shock, the ultimate protective state. Shock can manifest as numbness or paralysis. Often, the pain does not register until the shock has dissipated. Only then can the body’s work of healing itself begin. The effects of this level of trauma can last for years depending on the severity of the injury and the level of attention it receives.

       Chronic Harmful Experiences