FAQs Archive - Page 21 of 21 - SmartBody SmartMind

Q: 4 - Is our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) connected to our reptilian brain or is it that our SNS is our reptilian brain?

The brainstem, or reptilian brain, communicates with the SNS via a cluster of nerves called the autonomic ganglion. These areas are part of the SNS; they are not the SNS itself.

Q: 3 - Can we wait too long to heal?

There is no denying the sooner one can address these issues, the easier it will be. Unfortunately, the phrase “time heals all wounds” does not apply to trauma. That being said, it is never too late to get better. If one has lived a long life full of trauma without ever addressing it, they will probably not ever get back to the regulation and health they would have had if the trauma hadn’t occurred, (or if help had been available sooner), but they most definitely can improve their health and well-being a LOT.

Q: 4 - Is it normal to not remember my childhood and the resources I had when I was younger?

Well, it’s normal for trauma survivors :) Not to make light, but it may be helpful to know it’s often very difficult for trauma survivors to remember their childhood, or if they do, they may generally only remember the bad stuff. That's because it’s much harder to form memories when we are constantly in survival mode, and because the bad stuff gets marked by the system as much more important to remember than the good stuff. In such an environment, it’s very hard to develop any healthy resources in the first place; developing coping mechanisms to survive is much more the norm.

Q: 3 - Why am I not able to find relief or connect with my resources when I'm triggered?

Being triggered means we have had our unresolved trauma activated and we are no longer present with what is actually happening, but rather we are reacting to the past. This means that our survival energies are “up” (fight/flight and/or freeze) and when we are in survival mode it is much harder to access the part of the brain that remembers our resources (the neocortex) because we are being dominated by our brainstem and limbic centers. This is why practicing and cultivating our internal and external resources when we are NOT triggered is absolutely crucial. It’s the same as a musician rehearsing for a big show -- they rehearse until the music is in their muscle memory so that when the stress and bright lights of the big performance arrive they don’t have to think about the music, they can just play.

4 – Is our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) connected to our reptilian brain or is it that our SNS is our reptilian brain?

4 – Is our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) connected to our reptilian brain or is it that our SNS is our reptilian brain?oddjar2019-11-05T11:52:06-08:00

2 – When should I resource and when should I stay with the emotion/sensation/experience? Is there such a thing as resourcing too much?

2 – When should I resource and when should I stay with the emotion/sensation/experience? Is there such a thing as resourcing too much?oddjar2019-11-13T09:58:56-08:00

4 – Is our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) connected to our reptilian brain or is it that our SNS is our reptilian brain?

3 – Can we wait too long to heal?

2 – I Feel ON or OFF or Both at Once

1 – How do I know if I’m in freeze and what should I expect when I start to come out of freeze?

4 – Is it normal to not remember my childhood and the resources I had when I was younger?

3 – Why am I not able to find relief or connect with my resources when I’m triggered?

1 – Internal and External Resources vs Coping Mechanisms

2 – When should I resource and when should I stay with the emotion/sensation/experience? Is there such a thing as resourcing too much?