Create life and work that satisfies the soul.
  • Home
  • About
    • About Karen
    • Staff
  • Calendar
  • Training
    • Online training schedule
    • Supervision
    • How “Furry Auxiliaries” Can Enliven Therapy Sessions​
    • Intro to Sound Healing
  • Store
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Family Constellations
  • Links
  • Psychodrama
  • Home
  • About
    • About Karen
    • Staff
  • Calendar
  • Training
    • Online training schedule
    • Supervision
    • How “Furry Auxiliaries” Can Enliven Therapy Sessions​
    • Intro to Sound Healing
  • Store
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Family Constellations
  • Links
  • Psychodrama
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

11/11/2016 0 Comments

"I was never really prepared for the reality of war."

Picture
 By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Years ago, a veteran told me, "I was never really prepared for the reality of war."

As a psychotherapist, I often think about his powerful observation when I work with people who have suffered various kinds of trauma. His comment continues to prove true as I hear stories from people who have been affected deeply by trauma, whether war, abuse, crime or a severe accident.

There are several realities to the experience of trauma, which we can describe generally as a situation that is a shock to the system of the human being. The experience calls upon all of our resources -- physical, mental,  emotional and spiritual -- to survive.

After survival, however, the person continues to feel the reverberations of the event. These after-effects may show up in many ways.  

Hypervigilance. Keeping highly watchful is an important survival skill in wartime. In ordinary life, however, this watchfulness creates huge problems; the veteran is unable to relax and perhaps may find himself or herself suspicious of others, having difficulty in crowds and certain situations, even close relationships.

Unexpected trauma bubbles. Ordinary events, such as seeing an insect crawling up the wall or hearing helicopter noise on a sunny day, can be extremely unsettling. They stir up feelings both consciously and unconsciously that make us erupt in anger and irritability or sink into depression, which cause personal difficulty and problems in relationships with significant others, family members and friends. Although the veteran may sometimes feel "crazy," these are normal responses to the experience of trauma.

Drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. Mood-altering substances may seem to help veterans relax the super-vigilance, stop nightmares of painful image-memories, and numb emotions that may be too difficult to bear or even identify. Use of drugs and alcohol, however, can cause serious physical health problems, and contribute to further depression since alcohol actually depresses the central nervous system and other chemicals play havoc with brain chemistry generally. Addiction, too, can create even bigger problems for the veteran.

Many veterans shy away from talking about their experiences or reaching for help because they do not believe help or healing is possible. However, the good news is that healing IS possible, as we are able to understand more clearly than ever before the components of trauma and the needs for true recovery. The first step is to admit that the war experience has affected you, perhaps even in ways that you cannot name. The next step is to reach out for resources that reduce isolation, which in itself causes depression and emotional distress.

New scientific research is helping us understand more clearly how traumatic experiences are stored in the body and mind. Therefore, while traditional counseling is important, other means of help are equally valuable.

Experiential modes of psychotherapy -- such as EMDR, creative arts therapies and psychodrama -- are extremely helpful in accessing the parts of the brain where trauma memories reside. So are various kinds of bodywork treatments and other modalities. Some veterans have found that regimens of breathing, yoga and energy work, including Reiki, are relaxing and stabilizing -- sometimes reducing physical pain or distress as well as contributing to mental, physical and neurological calming.

Psychologist Ed Tick has documented significant healing of veterans in his 2005 book, War and the Soul and the newer Warrior's Return: Restoring the Soul After War that include genuine connections with older veterans and others in the community, Native American ceremony and sweat lodges, storytelling and other non-medical means.

Sometimes the best healer is the hope that is generated within a human being by knowing someone who has survived trauma and has found healing and peace.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, is an author, trainer and psychotherapist who promotes, practices and teaches experiential methods including psychodrama, Family and Systemic Constellations, mindfulness and Tarot imagery.

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All 2016 2017 2020 Abuse Adam Blatner African Americans Alison Mezey American Society Of Group Psychotherapy And Psychodrama Ancestor Healing Anger Anti-racism Anxiety Art Of Play ASGPP Authenticity Azizi Marshall Bert Hellinger Brain Science Breathe CE Credits Chicago Christmas Conference #constellatepeace Constellation Work Coronavirus Dear Abby Decolonizing Mental Health Decolonizing Therapy Documentary Series Donald Trump Dr. J.L Moreno Eating Disorders Edward Tick Election Day 2016 Empathy Essential Oils Experiential Psychotherapies Experiential Psychotherapy Ex[periential Therapies Family Constellations Food Gratitude Group Psychotherapy Groups Group Skills Hidden Messsages Of Water Hoarding Illness Intergenerational Trauma Interview Joseph Moreno Juneteenth Karen Carnabucci Kate Hudgins Kenosha Lancaster Lancaster School Of Psychodrama & Experiential Psychotherapies LIberty Place Light Linda Ciotola LNP Love Mark Wolynn Masaru Emoto Memoirs Mental Illness Mice Study Nancy Alexander Neurobiology New Year Office Office Protocol Pandemic Play Playback Theatre Play Therapy Politics Practice Space Psychodrama Puppets Racism Regina Moreno Reiki Resources Rice Experiment Ritual River Crossing Playback Theatre San Bernardino Sand Tray Schaumburg Selena Fox Self Care Self Love Sleep Social Change Social Justice Sociodrama Sociometry Solstice Spirituality Spiritualty Spring Equinox Stephan Hausner Stress Studies Stuffed Animals Systemic Constellations Systemic View Thanksgiving Theatre Of The Oppressed The New York Times Therapeutic Spiral Model Training Transformation Trauma U.S. Election Veterans Video Training Warm Up William Moreno Wisconsin Women's March Yoga YouTube Zerka T. Moreno

    RSS Feed

Located in beautiful Lancaster,
Pennsylvania

What People Say

  • “A wonderful mix of relaxed professionalism, humor and up-to-date information.”

  •  “…awakened my creative spirit and pushed me to stretch myself professionally and personally beyond what I could have done with any other type of training programs.”

  • "She inspired the rest of our team with her ready smile and easy-going presence."

Subscribe to Karen's e-letter!

Join our mailing list today!
Subscribe!

Photos used under Creative Commons from anieto2k, CrimsonDarko