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What is psychotraumatology?

Psychotraumatology is the area of science that studies PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA. These, which in turn, are damage to the mind caused by some painful (traumatic) experience, for example, imagine that a child was going up alone in an elevator and, when he least expects it, an error occurs in the system causing a 5-minute stop. At the moment of the incident, because he did not know what to do and did not have an adult to help immediately, the child began to cry. After this event, the child is no longer able to use the elevator due to the association between using it and the great stress faced in the incident.

There are other traumas such as those that occur in a car or plane accident, domestic violence, threat to life, among others. Each person has their own different experiences and reactions to each of them, and most people can deal with high levels of stress. But when this level is too high, it can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two of the most common symptoms are negative thoughts related to the traumatic event and the effort to move away from the memory of what happened. In the child's story, the effort would be no longer being able to use the elevator.

Treating a trauma consists of dissociating the negative thoughts from the event that generated it and, consequently, restoring autonomy and well-being. There are several methods that help to deal with trauma, but the support of a professional is essential to apply such methods and help the patient understand the emotions that will appear in the healing process.

What is Somatic Experience® (SE™)?

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a therapeutic method for treating trauma, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and grief. Created by PhD Peter Levine who, when analyzing the behavior of wild animals in nature, noticed that such animals did not show signs of trauma, despite the constant threat to life. So, why do human beings acquire trauma so easily? The answer comes from the consequence of the accumulation of stress. The stress of our work, our relationships, our family, the small and large problems that appear on a daily basis, in short.

Thus, based on the fact that trauma is trapped in the nervous system, SE works by releasing the accumulated of stress in the body using the corporal sensations approach. Below are two examples of exercises that use techniques that are covered in SE. They can be performed by anyone and are not specific to something that is happening to you, but they can help you understand what is happening in your nervous system, choose one and try it.

Observation of current body sensation

Disconnect from what you are doing and focus your attention on your body. Take your time with each of the steps below, this will take less than 1 minute.

1. I imagine that you are sitting in a chair, stop for a moment, get into the correct posture in the chair and take a deep breath.
2. Move your feet on the floor from side to side until you feel like you are connected to the ground (closing your eyes may help), then stand still again.
3. Now feel your back and buttocks on the chair you are sitting on to notice how the chair supports you. How does it feel to be sitting on it? Are you comfortable?
4. Sit down until you feel comfortable in the chair and, for a brief moment, let yourself enjoy the comfort of being supported in the chair.
5. Look around and notice something that makes you feel good (a calming color, a tree in the window, a dog, etc.). Allow yourself to feel this sensation and take a deep breath again.
6. What do you notice about your physical and emotional comfort right now? Do you feel the same or different when you started?

Awareness of our container

Our body is the container for all our sensations and feelings. Based on the idea that touch is a direct form of interaction with the nervous system, this exercise aims to bring awareness to our container. Don’t be in a hurry to complete each step.

1. Take a deep breath and keep your body relaxed.
2. Place your right hand under your left armpit, keeping your palm in contact with your chest.
3. Still in this position, take your right hand and place it on the left of your biceps (it can also be on your shoulder or elbow, whichever you find most comfortable).
4. Now apply light pressure with your arms for 20 seconds and, in the meantime, try to notice the sensation it brings to your hands, to your shoulder, to the inside of your body. Can you feel your heartbeat? What is the texture of your shirt?
5. Do you feel a pleasant sensation? Do you feel the same or different when you started? What happens when you tighten or loosen your hands and arms?

What is gerontology?

Every day we see the number of elderly people growing worldwide and, consequently, there is a need for understand and adapt to this reality. Based on this, Gerontology is the science that studies human aging in different aspects (biological, psychological, social and others). In other words, it is a scientific and professional field whose purpose is to obtain a description and explanation of the aging process. By its nature, it involves questions from several disciplines.

Because it is multidisciplinary, professionals in this area have diverse qualifications such as Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Nutrition, Law, etc. In the professional area, Gerontology aims to guarantee the best possible quality of life for the elderly and the Gerontologist's work covers prevention, adaptation, rehabilitation and palliative care.

In prevention, the professional proposes educational actions that seek to guide the elderly so that the best conditions are created for quality aging. In the setting, guidance is provided and the creation of better environmental conditions in the spaces where the elderly circulate. Rehabilitation proposes interventions aimed at improving physical, emotional or social conditions. Palliative care is necessary when elderly people have progressive and irreversible illnesses, seeking well-being and dignity in their lives.