Waking The Tiger | Peter A. Levine

Who might think that even very "ordinary" events, such as a medical treatment, or a fall with your bike, incidents that are "unimportant" or forgotten, can have substantial repercussions. That they can cause a traumatic reaction later in life, depending on how the child / adolescent / adult experiences them at the time they occur.

Trauma cannot always be prevented: it is a part of life. But we can process it. It is an interrupted process that naturally tends to seek completion whenever possible.

Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the event itself. They stem from the frozen residual energy that has not been released and discharged: this residual remains trapped in the nervous system, where it harms our body and mind.

To avoid becoming a trauma victim, a threatened human (or animal) must discharge all the energy generated by the danger (by fleeing/fighting/freezing response). The remaining energy does not go away by itself. It remains in the body and often forces the formation of a wide variety of symptoms, such as anxiety, depression and psychosomatic and behavioral problems. Through these symptoms, the body tries to keep the uncharged energy in control. In nature, animals instinctively discharge all their compressed energy and then rarely develop adverse symptoms. We humans often suppress it. If we cannot release these impressive forces, we become victims of trauma with all its implications.

In this book, Peter Levin, an expert in the field of trauma processing, explores the origins and treatment of trauma from a biological perspective. Somatic Experiencing, introduced in this book, assumes that trauma symptoms have biological rather than psychological character and are therefore best dealt with in a body-oriented way to release the blocked survival energy.

It's a very accessible written book with many examples, which can help you not only to understand your own history, but also gives you tools to deal with possible traumatic situations and their consequences both with yourself and with your children / other loved ones. And it is very complementary to TRE®!