Review on 1 great book Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma,
Peter A. Levine’s book, Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, is a must-read.
Many people who have suffered tremendous emotional agony (for example, those who have recently lost a loved one, those who live in war-torn countries, those who have been tortured or sexually molested) or physical harm (for example, those who have suffered severe neglect or debilitating injuries) are able to recover completely or nearly completely from their tragedy. While some people recover, others do not and continue to relive the same horrific experiences of morbid fear, anguish, and anxiety for a long period of time after their recovery. These latter groups of people have been traumatized as a result of their negative experiences.
According to Levine and Frederick (1997) in their book “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma,” this is a result of bottled-up somatosensory symptoms that emerge after a traumatic event has occurred. According to Levine and Frederick, there are three primary ways in which people respond when confronted with a traumatic experience (1997). Depending on the situation, they can fight (confront the situation), flee (avoid the situation), or freeze (be totally overwhelmed by the predicament to the point of immobility). It is more effective for trauma victims to use the fight or flee strategy after experiencing a traumatic event than it is for victims to freeze in response to shock (Levine & Frederick, 1997). This state of suspended animation and paralysis occurs unintentionally and without the conscious awareness of the individual. During this state of freeze, the victim is unable to go through all of the typical reactions associated with traumatic events (Levine & Frederick, 1997). Because the trapped emotions are not adequately discharged by the victim, they have a negative impact on the traumatized individual.
It is therefore necessary to guide the victim along a path (Experiential Sensation-FELT SENSE) that allows them to perceive and release those trapped emotions in order to resolve the agony. Understanding how animals recover from traumatic experiences led to the development of this approach to healing trauma. (Levine & Frederick 1997). According to Levine and Frederick (1997), confronting agony should be done primarily on an emotional, limbic brain level, rather than solely on a rational, executive brain level, to maximize effectiveness.
Some of Levine and Frederick’s trauma theory is also supported by the polyvagal theory, which suggests that agony has a somatic experiential component that can be felt by the victim. Considering that agony has strong emotional roots, as indicated by the polyvagal theory and the Levine and Frederick (1997) theory, elements of relationship models such as the DIR model can be used in addressing agony. DIR practitioners can begin to appeal, build, and strengthen discovered areas of weakness after determining the victim’s functional emotional development capacity level. This will allow the victim to break free from the shackling phenomena of a past dreadful event. and strengthen discovered areas of weaknesses To regulate traumatized individuals, one of the tools in the DIR toolbox is to calm the individual who has been traumatically traumatized. As a result of a calm mind, agony victims have the opportunity to engage in further emotion regulation and gain an understanding of deep-seated feelings, all of which are necessary for them to begin to break free from their past and begin to achieve new levels of functional capacity.
In addition to the NARM model, which focuses on the mind and suggests that agony is associated with a maladaptation in the victim’s attachment history, there are other agony theories that can be applied. According to the PTSD model, agony victims are attempting to apply to the solutions of their current problems that had previously worked and were appropriate in their situation.
According to my observations, while attachment and agony appear to be at opposite ends of the same emotional spectrum on the surface, it is clear that whereas attachment is almost always positive, with the exception of extreme attachment/dependency, agony is almost always negative until it resolves. A committed practitioner who is willing to learn from their victims and understand their challenges is required for the treatment of agony. This is necessary in order to develop an appropriate management strategy.
In the management of traumatized children and adults, recognizing the signs and symptoms of agony and making timely referrals to an agony specialist, as well as integrating a variety of treatment modalities, would likely yield the best results.