Trauma changes everything about the way we see ourselves, our world, and our place in our world. Our consciousness resides in our brains, to our best understanding. Our brains reside in our head which is attached to the rest of our body. When trauma impacts our life, it impacts every inch of our life, including every inch of our physical flesh. Trauma impacts our internal body as well, changing the way our sympathetic nervous system works for the rest of our lives. Some of us experience the manifestation of our trauma through a disconnect between our mind and our body. Instead of being an integrated part of our whole being, our body becomes a prison, an external factor, a burden which we have to bare.
Eating disorders can result as a symptom of trauma for many different reasons and in many different ways. If our trauma recovery also includes eating disorder recovery, we are tasked with many challenges for thriving in a society that is body-focused, often in negative ways. One of these challenges is walking through “body talk” which, in our modern digital age, is absolutely everywhere. Society is nothing short of obsessed with the way we look, telling us how that should make us feel, and criticizing us for not looking or being good enough. Once we are on the mindful side of the mind-body relationship, we realize just how often body talk saturates every day conversation and how much of it isn’t positive. Having built a new, wonderful relationship with our own body, we are inspired to encourage others. Unfortunately, as we discovered through our own journey, the road to body connection is a personal one. Though we stand as an example, we cannot change everyone.
If you are in a group or personal setting where body talk becomes the topic of conversation, you may experience some immediate physical reactions which is your survival response firing off. Take a few deep breaths and connect with yourself. Notice your feet on the ground and your presence in this moment. You have a few choices. First, you can offer a positive outlook and encourage those around you to think differently. Second, you can subtly change the subject and veer away from negative body talk. If your mindful attempts don’t change the conversation, your options change. You can outright let people know this kind of conversation can be triggering for you and since you want to stay part of the talking, you’d rather talk about something else. When all other options fail, you always have the right and the privilege to simply walk away. Let your peers know you’ve enjoyed your time and appreciate them all, but that at this time, you have somewhere else to be. Should you be triggered in any way, place a phone call to your trauma therapist or someone you trust to talk through your emotions. Take a few more deep breaths and then do something healthy for your body like drink some water, eat a healthy snack, or get some exercise.
You can walk through your trauma. The Guest House Ocala offers residential treatment programming for trauma, addictions, and related mental health issues. Call us today for information on our customized programs and availability: 1-855-483-7800