David Berceli - The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process (2009)

July 31, 2017 | Author: ragnarworld | Category: Psychological Trauma, Anxiety, Suffering, Self-Improvement, Stress (Biology)
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DAVID BERCELI, PHD Foreword bv Dr. Robert Scaer. MD

The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process Transcend Your Toughest Times

DAVID BERCELI,

PHD

NAMASTE PUBLISHING

Vancouver, Canada

Copyright

© 2008 by David Berceli

First Printing 2008

Second Printing 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written perrnission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in book reviews and critical articles. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Berceli, David, '953-

The revolutionary trauma release process: transcend your toughest times / David Berceli. ISBN 978'1-897238-4°-0 (pbk.) I. Post-traumatic stress disorder-Treatment-Popular works. 2. Psychic trauma­

Treatment-Popular works. l. Title.

Published by NAMASTE PUBLISHING. Inc.

J;j

PO Box 62084

Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 4A3

FSC

www.namastepublishing.com

Mixed Sources Cert�D sW·COC·OOl271 C1996fS(

[email protected] Distributed in North America by HAMPTON ROADS, c/o Red Wheel Weiser, Newburyport, MA Cover design by Gabreyhl Zintoll Interior book design and typesetting by Val Speidel Pages r5-17, Excerpts from "Hell and Back" by Chris Rose 10/22/06

© 2008 The Times-Picayune

Publishing Co. All rights reserved. U sed with pennission of The Times-Picayune. Printed and bound by Friesens Printing

in Canada.

DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this book is selective rather than exhaustive. Medical and

psychological information is constantly evolving, and the reader should exercise particular care in forming conclusions based solely on this book. For these reasons, neither David BerceH nor the publisher assume responsibility or liability arising from any error or omission, or from the use of any information, in this book. In no event shall TRAPS, Trauma Release Process LLC, David Berceli, or Namasle Publishing, Inc. be liable for any direct. indirect, punitive. incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or

exercises.

in any way

connected with the use of these

The exercises presented in this book are not intended to cure or heal illnesses associated with trauma, only to release the effects of trauma in the musculature, and they should not be taken to be a substitute for appro­ priate trauma recovery procedures of a medical or psychological nature. For specific diagnosis, treatment, or courses of action for trauma recovery, the reader should always consult a licensed mental health professional who can discuss personal symptoms and appropriate treatment. These exercises should not be used by pregnant women, infants, or children. They should also not be used by any individual who has serious

medical conditions such as a heart condition. irregular blood pressure, or

any other medical condition that requires strict regulation, without the approval and supelVision of a med­ ical doctor trained to provide such guidance. Although this book outlines a self-administered trauma recovery process. specific individuals with frag­ ile psychological defenses. a complex history of repeated or multiple traumas, or those with restricting phys­ ical limitations or injuries such as knee, back, pelvic, or other rnusc1e, tendon, or bone injuries should consult their medical professional prior to performing these exercises.

Dedicated to the many people who have blessed me with the opportunity to accompany them in their trauma recovery process.

Contents

Acknowledgments Foreword by Robert Scaer, M D

Xlll xv

PART I I MAKING SENSE OF STRESS, ANXIETY, AND TRAUMA I.

2.

Life Is Traumatic

3

A Really Different A pproach

4

A lign Yourself with What Is

6

When L ife Turns Up the Heat

7

Trauma Is Individual in Nature

8

A Shock to the System

10

Learning to " Suck It Up"

10

Stress and Family Life

13

Insight from Hurricane Katrina

A Life Sentence?

IS 17

When a Professional Isn't Available

18

A Window Opens

18

vii

Vlll

CONTENTS







6.



"Help Me Heal Myself"

20

Clues from an Ancient People

21

A Cry for Help

22

Designed to Handle Trauma

23

Beyond "Talking It Out"

24

When Life Doesn't Work Out the Way It's Supposed To

25

Getting Inside Our Head

26

How the Brain Processes Trauma

27

Trauma Can Wreck Your Health

28

How Illness Results from Trauma

29

How Our Instant-on Button Gets Stuck

32

A Protective System Gone Awry

33

Stuck in the Past

34

Resurrecting the Past

35

Beyond the Therapist's Couch

37

The Wisdom of the Body

39

It Takes More Than Traditional Counseling

41

Bringing the Body into the Picture

41

Getting at the Muscles

42

How the Body Copes with Trauma

44

Trembling with Fright

45

Tremoring Is Good for Us

46

If You Tremble Are You Out of Control?

47

Holding It in

48

Testing the Theory

50

All Tensed Up

52

Contents

ix

8.



10.

II.

12.

What Your Gut Instinct Is

54

When Objectivity Is I mpaired

55

Three Musketeers

56

Drowning in Trauma

59

Heart-wrenching Effects

61

Far-reaching Consequences

62

Vicarious Trauma

63

Wearing Us Down

64

Am I Going Crazy?

65

A Personal Experience

66

Home from the Battlefront

67

Clues to Trauma·induced Behavior

67

Breaking the Silence

68

The Women's Movement Opened Our Eyes

70

Resolving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

71

Overwhelming Stress

72

" My Body Is Racing at 1000 RPM"

72

The Opium Sensation

74

A One-Two Punch Why We Sometimes Freeze U p

75 76

Identifying Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

78

"Things Like That Don't Happen to Us"

79

Flawed Assumptions

80

Traumatized Children Become Traumatized Adults

81

Reversing Generations of Neglect

83

A Unique Band of People

84

A Price We Can Afford

85

x

CONTE NTS

13-

14·

Trauma in the Workplace

87

Trust Is Essential

87

Encoded Not to Trust

88

Signs of Trauma in the Workplace

91

Mending Strained Relationships

91

Fostering Corporate Longevity

92

Healing Our Divisions

95

Reconnecting Alienated Parties

96

"

15·

16.

96

I Hated Everyone to the Point of Paranoia"

How We Learn to Discriminate

97

Stereotyping Is a Defense

98

" God No Longer Existed for Me"

101

A Shattering Experience

102

A Spiritual Awakening

102

Our Spiritual Self

I04

Solitude-a Key to Reinventing Ourselves

r

Forgiving Life for Its "Failings"

108

Forgiveness May Not Come Easily

109

06

"I Was More Terrified and Angry Than M y Family"

III

Take Responsibility for Your Wellbeing

II3

Tough Times Can Make You Stronger

II4

Making Sense of Traumatic Times

lIS

Mother Teresa Shines a Light

II6

T rauma As Our Teacher

II8

T rust in the Goodness of Life

II8

No Way But Forward

120

Contents

xi

17·

A Soldier Shows the Way

121

"Even Death Was Better Than This Inner Numbness"

18.

122

"I Am Still Alive!"

123

Sleepwalking Through Life

124

The Body and the Present Moment

127

Tremors and the Body's History

128

Spirituality Through the Body

128

Tremors and the Body

129

Tremors and Consciousness

132

Tremors and Physics

132

PART II / THE TRAUMA RELEASE PROCESS (TRP)TM 135

1 9·

The Trauma Release Process™

137

How Often?

140

Your Tension Is Unique to You

141

A Word of Caution

142

The Exercises

143

Appendix 1

Personnel Working in Trauma Environments

197

Appendix 2

The Labyrinth of Negotiation and Mediation

200

Appendix 3

A Vibrational Approach

20.

Endnotes

204 206

Acknowledgments

To HAVE WORKE D in so many countries, with such large traumatized pop­ ulations, has been overwhelming in both challenging and encouraging ways_ Without these global human experiences, I could not have learned as much as I have about the collective struggle of humanity. I have received a great deal of support from friends and family, which has truly sustained me. Among them are my mother and father, sisters Denise and Debi, brothers Frank and Michael, and my sister-in-law Kathy. My dear friends Richard, Michael and Kerry, Riccardo, Bob and Jim, Sherry, Anne, and Robert have always supported me with their loving care and patience. Again and again they have shown me the warmth and encour­ agement of true and valued friendship, which is an important part of our human potential. These relationships helped sustain me and encourage me to continue my journey of human exploration. Special thanks go to Constance Kellough, President and Publisher at Namaste Publishing, for seeing the value of this work and opening the door to take it into every corner of the world. Thanks must also be given to my editor David Ord, Namaste Publishing's E ditorial Director, who tirelessly guided me through the process of writing in a coherent and meaningful manner.

xiii

Foreword

DAVID BERCEL! spent much of his career in war zones, including Lebanon, the Palestinian West Bank, Israel, Uganda, Sudan, Yemen, and Ethiopia. It was in Lebanon that he made a trenchant observation about him­ self and his co-workers when huddled against the wall in a building being shelled by mortars. He noted that, in response to the concussion of an exploding mortar shell, each person in the room startled and assumed a posture in which their shoulders and hips contracted toward each other as if they were going into a ball. He intuitively recognized this as a universal response to danger and therefore instinctual in all of us. With his expertise as a therapeutic body worker, David realized that repetitive activation of the muscles that create this flexion could result in tension building up in these muscles. He also surmised that releasing this tension could have many beneficial effects. With careful analysis, David determined that one specific muscle, the psoas, played a large role in this process. The result is the groundbreaking Trauma Release Process (TRpTM) described in this remarkable book. Application of these exercises throughout the world has allowed clients to achieve a sense of release,

xv

xvi

FOREWORD

relaxation, and calmness. Often, even emotional states from old trauma are mitigated. I met David several years ago through an organization devoted to fos­ tering resiliency and health in returning Iraq veterans. When David told me about his work, I immediately recognized the rationale for the effectiveness of his exercises in healing trauma and chronic back pain through discharging the tension in muscles. Since then we have corre­ sponded and collaborated on many projects devoted to the healing of trauma. I personally have used and taught the Trauma Release Process™ to friends and patients with consistently remarkable results.

The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process is the result of David's long j ourney of discovering and perfecting this novel an d widely applicable form of trauma therapy. It serves as a useful manual for learning these exercises on one's own. One of the unique features of the exercises is that they can be learned and practiced as a therapeutic self-help skill, as well used as an adjunct to other forms of trauma therapy. Helplessness is a universal state in the trauma victim, and gaining control of their symptoms, their body, and their life is an essential part of the healing process. This book shows how to achieve this. - Robert Scaer, M D , Author of The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma,

Dissociation, and Disease, and The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency.

PART I

Mal
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