“The body keeps the memory of what is not expressed”

War, sexual violence, attack, natural disaster, assault … A large majority of people feel an extreme fear when it is exposed, as a victim or witness, to a potentially traumatic event. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 70 % of people worldwide live an event of this type during their existence. These events can leave psychic, deep and lasting injuries. “A psychic trauma or psychotrauma is an invisible injury, caused by an event that goes beyond the ability of a person to face it, explains Johanna Rozenblum, clinical psychologist. This can be an accident, an assault, an abuse, a brutal mourning, but also more insidious violence such as harassment or psychological grip. It is not so much the event itself, but the way in which it is experienced that determines trauma. »»

Shame, fear of judgment, guilt … These negative emotions can push the victim to wall in silence after trauma. But remaining silent and locking up your emotions can worsen health. “Resing over a trauma can exacerbate anxiety, promote disorders such as depression, sleep disorders, or somatic pain. The body keeps the memory of what is not expressed: this is sometimes called “traumatic memory”. The body remembers and trauma can manifest itself by flashbacks, disproportionate reactions, even psychosomatic diseases (chronic pain, respiratory problems, gynecological problems for sexual violence) “, continues the specialist.

In the short term, silence, or the fact of not being taken care of in a suitable manner, by adequate people, can cause: anxiety, amazement, hypervigilance, nightmares, dissociation (impression of being “alongside”), irritability, insomnia … in the long term, these are attachment disorders, isolation, addictions, stress, Post-traumatic (PTSD), even certain chronic pathologies that can occur if trauma remains non-grease.

Talking about trauma is often the first step to overcome it. “Putting words on pain is already to regain power over what has escaped us. Verbal account helps to restructure experience, get out of emotional chaos. Speaking also active the parasympathetic system (the one with a soothing effect), and allows the person to reconnect to himself, to others, and to a continuity of meaning, we speak “of integration into the life cycle” of trauma “, Develops the psychologist.

However, finding the right person to talk to is not that simple and the risk is to reactivate an always painful injury. “Trauma is affecting confidence, intimate. Bad listening, a judgment, a minimization or even just a clumsy can reactivate the injury, we then speak of secondary victimization. It is essential to confide in someone benevolent, capable of active listening and respect for the rhythm of the person ”, continues Johanna Rozenblum. Thus, the entourage must remain attentive, an always benevolent listening which will respect the rhythm of the victim. That is to say, it is important, in addition to avoiding guilt and criticism, not to be too insistent, not to force the person to speak.

Turning to a specialist trained in psychotrauma and victimology can be envisaged. “Therapy allows you to explore and appease trauma in a secure setting. »» Several approaches are possible and will depend on the trauma, its intensity and the history of the victim.

• The EMDR (Eye, Movement, DESENSITIZATION REPROCESSING) or neuroemotional integration by eye movements is a proven therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders and which is recognized by WHO. EMDR uses bi-alternated sensory stimulation (right left). It is a question of reproducing the movements of the eyes during sleep in order to retreat the traumatic memories and put them in their place;
• Cognitivo-behavioral therapies (TCC) allow you to work on thoughts associated with trauma and decrease the intensity of emotions;
• Psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapies are suitable for complex or ancient traumas.

Finally, speech groups can also help, depending on the personalities, to overcome psychotrauma. “Sharing with others who have lived similar experiences can relieve shame, isolation and create a feeling of belonging. It is a form of mutual recognition, of speech repair and collective empathy ”, Estens Johanna Rozenblum. But the psychologist warns against the effects of emotional contagion or reactivation of the trauma. “It is therefore better to integrate a speech group supervised by an association or other which will be keen to secure exchanges with the help of health professionals”.

SOURCE: Interview JOhanna Rozenbum – OMS