Peter Levine is a trauma researcher and clinician. Through his study, he found that trauma is a misunderstood cause of human suffering.

According to Dr. Levin:

You can become traumatized when your ability to respond to a perceived threat is in some way overwhelmed. This inability to adequately respond can impact you in obvious and subtle ways sometimes not showing up in your life for years. 

From trauma, you may feel “not quite right” and yet not know why you feel this way. Mean while, your self-esteem, self-confidence, feelings of well-being and sense of connection to life are depleted.

Trauma is about loss of connection – to ourselves, to our bodies, to others, and to the world around us. This loss of connection can be hard to recognize because it doesn’t happen all at once. It can happen slowly over time such that you adapt to subtle changes. These changes can easily go unnoticed.

The chronic condition of trauma is anxiety. Which can drive you to avoid whatever stirs up anxious-suffering. This can be played out in your life, avoiding specific feelings, people, situations, and places. The result of this gradual constriction of freedom is the loss of vitality and the full potential of your life.

– Peter Levine, Ph.D.
“Healing Trauma,” 2008

Symptoms you may be experiencing as a result of trauma…
  • Feel out of control.
  • Believe you are damaged or handicapped in your life.
  • Experience difficulty establishing stable, trusting relationships.
  • Feel limited in your ability to experience intimacy or joy.
  • Experience strong negative reactions to minor frustrations.
  • Have an ongoing sense of futility and emptiness – feeling withdrawn or detached.
What to do about these symptoms…

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, I recommend you make an appointment to meet with a counseling professional as soon as you can.

At the Center for Conscious Counseling in Schaumburg, Illinois, we help you re-establish your ability to connect powerfully with yourself and others.

Give us a call today at (312) 948-9455 or Make an Appointment to begin the process of living your life more fully today.

Posted in Interventions