What are Disorders Related to Trauma and Stress? Some trauma release exercises:

People around the world face trauma and stress related disorders that change the way how they think and behave. According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder 5-TR these disorders are experienced after any traumatic and stressful event. Some events are so stressful and painful for a person to handle with, lead emotional pain, physical tension and sometime long term mental health problems. It is important to diagnose and treat these trauma disorders with trauma release exercises.

To treat trauma and stress related disorders therapies, medications and trauma release exercises TRE all are important. Trauma release exercises help to release stress and keep nervous system calm in natural way.

Trauma and stress related disorders are need to be diagnosed on time and to be treated to keep nervous system calm down. These exercises are helpful to help body to heal itself.

In this article we will tell you how to diagnose trauma and stress related disorders and how to treat them.

Trauma and Stress Related Disorders According to DSM 5

 
According to DSM 5 the disorders included in the category of trauma and stress related diosrders are

1. Reactive Attachment Disorder
2. Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder
3. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
4. Acute Stress Disorder
5. Adjustment Disorders
6. Prolonged Grief Disorder

All of these disorders have different signs and symptoms, but they all come from the same thing: Trauma or too much stress that the mind and body can’t handle.

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Usually affect kids who have been neglected or not cared for consistently. They have an effect on how people connect emotionally and how they act in social situations

Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED)

Usually affect kids who have been neglected or not cared for consistently. They have an effect on how people connect emotionally and how they act in social situations.

PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD develops after direct or indirect exposure to a traumatic event, including an accident, assault, war, or natural disaster. Intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoiding reminders, and having negative thoughts or moods are all symptoms of DSM-5-TR. Some of the symptoms are:

• Too much arousal (tense or easily startled)
• Muscle tension
• Restlessness
• Distress
• Anxiety are some common signs of PTSD. This means that trauma is also in the body.
  
  

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

ASD is similar to PTSD, but it starts within the first month after a traumatic event. If symptoms persist for over a month, the diagnosis may be altered to PTSD.

Adjustment Disorders

People with adjustment disorders have too strong emotional or behavioral reactions to a big change in their life, like getting divorced, losing their job, or getting sick. The stress is more than they can handle on a normal basis.

 
What is Link between Mind and Body in Trauma?

Trauma is not limited to the mind; it also effect the body. The body goes into “fight, flight, or freeze” mode when it senses danger. The heart beats faster, the muscles get tighter, and adrenaline floods the body.
In a healthy situation, the body will automatically relax once the threat is gone. But this relaxing time doesn’t always happen after a traumatic event. The body stays on high alert, which causes muscle tension, pain, and emotional pain to last longer. Stress that isn’t dealt with can affect your sleep, digestion, and even your immune system for a long time.
That’s why therapies that work on both the body and the mind, like trauma release exercises (TRE), work so well.

What are Trauma Release Exercises (TRE)?

Trauma release exercises are a group of easy physical movements that help the body get rid of stress and tension. TRE was formed by Dr. David Berceli. It is based on the idea that people, like animals, have a natural way to let go of stress called tremors or shaking.
These simple activities can make the body heal naturally. This natural healing process with the help of exercises can help to release emotional stress and build up muscles. These exercises help to calm your nervous system during trauma and stress. This will help you to feel safe and relax during and after trauma and stressful event.

How TRE works?

Mostly trauma and stress release exercises involve the exercises of progressive muscle relaxation like stretching or gently tiring muscles like legs, hips and lower back muscles. These trauma and stress release exercises cause controlled muscle tension and then gradual muscle relaxation. This help to release long term muscle stress.

As you start muscle relaxation the body relaxes. This body relaxation help to tell the brain that physical tension has passed. This message helps brain to relax and lower stress level.     

Advantages of Using TRE

If you regularly do exercises you will feel mentally and physically fresh. Some most important advantages are:

1. Less Physical tension

TRE and regular exercises help you to feel better mentally and physically. These exercises help you to relax muscular tension, and get rid of physical stress. Even in some cases after one session of exercise patients feel lighter neck, shoulders and their back muscles.

2. Relax Mind

TRE and other exercises for trauma help to calm your nervous system. Relaxed nervous system help to improve your quality of sleep. As many people in trauma feel emotional stress but trauma exercises will help you to feel light and better.

3. Helps you let go of deep feelings

There are times when trauma is stored in the body in ways that words can’t describe. TRE helps release deep emotional energy that has been stored up, which helps the body heal naturally.

4. Calms the nervous system.

The brain thinks the mild shaking is safe, which helps to calm the fight-or-flight response. This teaches the body to move from tense to calm more easily over time.

5. Other Therapies

TRE is not meant to take the place of therapy; it is meant to make it better. It can speed up healing and help stabilise emotions when used with counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or mindfulness exercises.

How to do TRE safely?

TRE can be done on your own with the right help, but it’s best to start with a qualified TRE provider who can safely guide you through the process.
Here’s a short list of what a session might include:

1. Being ready:

Start somewhere where you can relax and won’t be bothered. Put on loose clothes and check that the area is safe.

2. Warm-up Moves:

Stretch your hips and legs gently. The goal is to tire the muscles out just enough to turn on the body’s tremor system.

3. Letting tremors happen:

When your muscles start tremors notice your breathing. Firstly you may feel shaking strange but after sometime you will fell it completely normal.

4. The Relaxation Phase:

After tremor and muscle tension lay down keep your body calm and rest for few minutes. During mind healing process many people feel quiet and calm.

5. Integration:

If you want to heal and keep your mind and body healthy try to note down your thoughts. If you write down your thoughts you will feel more relaxed.

The Science Behind Stress Relief:

Studies on trauma and stress relief exercises show that these tremors turn on the body’s “rest and digest” mode, which is the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps fight long-term stress and overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response.
Studies show that better balance in the nervous system can make heart rate variability better.

• Lowered levels of cortisol (the stress hormone)
• Fewer signs of anxiety and depression
• Better sleep and mood control.
  
  

More research is needed, but early results suggest that TRE is a safe, body-based therapy for letting go of stress and relaxing. Trauma often makes you feel like you’re not in your bodies. Talk therapy deals with feelings and thoughts, but words don’t always work. Trauma release exercises are great for this because they let the body speak for itself.