Leading trauma expert, Dr. David Bercelli, provides a really thorough analysis of how pervasive trauma really is to all aspects of our societies: family life, schooling, community clubs, our work environments and our national identities.
He also identifies the belief systems and preconceptions that keep us from accepting that trauma will, at some point in time, affect us all, and, how this belief unfortunately inhibits our acceptance and readiness to be open to adopting preventative measures, systems and treatment programs to help minimize and correct the negative legacy and devastating impact that trauma leaves in our communities, often making the lives of so many so unnecessarily unbearable.
As Dr. Bercelli notes, "Every person who experiences trauma suffers from some symptoms of PTSD – it is a simply a matter of degrees that separates them.”
While an individuals background, age, mental health, prior trauma history and support structure all contribute to their likely resilience to severe stress and trauma, ultimately, this is something that will, and does, impact us all; whether it’s a direct traumatic event that we or a family member experience, one that we encounter vicariously through the media, a national disaster, our work, or because our teachers, community leaders or employers have been traumatized and are unconsciously creating a culture and environment that perpetuates this.
So what is the solution? Dr. Bercelli outlines this clearly while providing a detailed description of how trauma affects our bodymind dynamic at a biological, physiological, hormonal, physical, behavioral and neurological level.
Just having this greater awareness of trauma and its unconscious impact on us provides a greater level of understanding and compassion for so many people around us. Yet, the solutions offered by Dr. Bercelli in this book offer something far more concrete with specific trauma recovery and assessment programs that can be used by organizations, corporations and communities, together with the actual Trauma Release Exercises (TRE™) which can provide a simple, natural healing and trauma recovery solution for the individual or any group.
Initially, it might appear from reading this book that the degree of trauma that currently exists in our world means we are species doomed to ever increasing levels of disconnection, emotional numbing, spiritual pain and acts of uncontrollable aggression, possibly to the point of inevitable self-destruction. However, trauma, it turns out is the very opportunity we need for self-realization and evolution.
When resolved in a healthy way, trauma actually helps us learn how to adapt to life threatening situations by making us stronger, wiser and better able to deal with future threats. Initially our response may well be one of overwhelm, hopelessness and immeasurable emotional pain, causing us to hide in terror at the fragility, precariousness and vulnerability of our existence.
Yet, when we can successfully engage the body and minds natural methods for healing after trauma, moving the body out of contraction and into relaxation, the nervous system from disassociation or hyper alertness, and the mind from reaction to reflection, then we can achieve the normal sense of inner peace, release feelings of rage, revenge or hatred that keep us stuck in the trauma, and ultimately gain the benefit that comes from our biological imperative to let-go so that we can move forward into the future without being robbed of our present. As Dr. Bercelli notes, “ Maybe trauma is the universe’s way of helping humanity to develop and mature as a wiser, more compassionate species.”