by Gabor Mate, ‘When the body says no’
Healing starts to take place when we are fully heard... listen talk more
Gabor Mate’s 7
A’s of HEALING FROM TRAUMA
1. Acceptance
2. Awareness
3. Anger
4. Autonomy
5. Attachment
6. Assertion
7. Affirmation
1. Acceptance - ‘compassionate curiosity about the self doesn’t mean liking everything about ourselves – that we look at ourselves from a place of non judgemental – self acceptance’.
2. Awareness - being aware of signs and symptoms in our bodies to enable us to become unstuck from repeating ill health or trauma. Which in turn will support ourselves to self regulate our fight and flight system and vagus nerve.
3. Anger - This can provide us with health boundaries - saying ‘we matter’ ‘we exist in the world’.
Studies show that ‘inhibited aggression; patients repress of aggression' can increase our chances of cancer or autoimmune diseases.
An America clinical study of 300 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - who stated they only rarely felt rage or felt they had never experienced it; they suffered arthritic episodes significantly more than patients who had express anger more recently. From this we can summarise that similar to all autoimmune disease there is a tendency towards individuals suppressing they’re emotional state in particular anger. In a western ‘civilised’ society, anger is seen as an expression of animalistic aggression linked to when we were ‘cave men’ or the ‘uncivilised lower classes’, which is to be controlled. The suppression of our inner animalistic state reflects the duality experienced at both the body’s cellular level and mental and emotional planes. Simply our over active immune system is ‘attacking’ itself rather than attacking outwardly through expressed emotional release. Which results in inflammatory responses and havoc to our entire system.
Women in modern society are called hysterical or unstable when angry. It is a masculine energy an animalistic expression which should be suppressed and not showed. By not displaying our natural emotions such as anger – for example say we are in a traumatic abusive relationship and display no anger – we hide our reactions out of fear however our bodies gets confused – it does not know how to react anymore to the responses. This ends up in REPEATION or being STUCK in PATTERNS of disease in the body.
4. Autonomy - 'Knowing ourself' - which again comes back to our boundaries. Bodily autonomy is important to healing trauma.
5. Attachment - 'Connection' - did you know loneliness kills?
In Sweden a study of 1290 patients undergoing heart surgery found that patients who agreed with the term ‘I feel lonely’ had a significant higher rate of post-operative mortality rate. Lonely people are have been found to have high diastolic blood pressure, altered immune response and greater cortisol levels.
6. Assertion - Actioning what we know. This goes beyond acceptance, this is the practical implications of healing and putting them into play!
7. Affirmation - of the finding a NEW self is by affirming into our life and consciousness which may be through a creative outlet or religion / spiritual practice…
For more information on how homeopathy can support you returning to a state of balance and repair. Do get in touch via my website or email kirstin.bruges@hotmail.com