I attended a great PODS training event this past weekend: Working with Dissociative Disorders in Clinical Practice.
Carolyn Spring, the founder of PODS, delivers many of the PODS training events. A survivor of childhood trauma herself, she provides a deep insight into how therapists can engage with trauma and dissociative survivors.
One of the standout moments for me was hearing Carolyn talk about shame-related behaviours: “Shame may keep us alive but it may not keep us safe.” This goes to the core of post-traumatic stress disorder – we all possess effective coping skills to get through traumatic events and the immediate after effects. However, we can then start to live with a heightened senses of threat and self-blame, which get in the way of us acknowledging when we are truly safe and truly unsafe, so we have trouble figuring out how to respond appropriately to our world.
There are many ways to manage post-traumatic stress, and reduce these heightened senses, including one-to-one therapy and practices such as mindfulness.
If you are curious about Dissociative Disorders, including support, please have a look at the PODS website: https://support.pods-online.org.uk/helpline