Since time immemorial, people have attempted to cope with powerful and terrifying feelings by doing things that contradict perceptions of fear and helplessness: religious rituals, theater, dance, music, meditation and

Trauma is not a disease, he points out, but rather a human experience rooted in survival instincts.

Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.

carefully graded, expression of our instinctive responses will allow the traumatic state to loosen its hold on the sufferer.

the capacity for self-regulation is what allows us to handle our own states of arousal and our difficult emotions, thus providing the basis for the balance between authentic autonomy and healthy social engagement. In addition, this capacity allows us the intrinsic ability to evoke a sense of being safely “at home” within ourselves, at home where

Learning to live through states of high arousal (no matter what their source) allows us to maintain equilibrium and sanity.

We are “scared stiff.” In human beings, unlike in animals, the state of temporary freezing becomes a long-term trait.

This preparation for action was absolutely essential on the ancient savannahs, and it is “discharged” or “used up” by all-out, meaningful action. In

This capacity is especially important when we are frightened or injured.