"processing"

[MountainGirl]

I hope this is an OK place to post this question. I have read about memories and traumas being
"processed," but I don't know what that means, and I wonder if it is something real or is it a metaphor? I'd like to see some reliable research on this. Is the concept related to the way trauma literally seems to shape areas of the brain? If so, are there reliable evidence based studies that can literally show before and after differences in how the brain processes traumatic memories ? Not sure I grasp this idea of "processing." Can someone point me toward research that explains it?

[Chart]

Mountaingirl, I can't remember where I came across the direct (simple) explanation of "processing". But it's integral to all aspects of brain functioning and healing from trauma, so there is always anecdotal evidence in any scientific information about the brain (relating to trauma), memory and how we react to trauma (or anything else for that matter).

Processing was explained to me in the context of trauma and children. Imagine a child comes in through your door and tells you they just witnessed a man beating another man on the street. The child is upset and confused and panicky. The natural response of most healthy adults is to ask some critical questions to verify the facts, establish that people are no longer in danger, and then answer the questions of the child. Simply put, this allows the child to "process" the event they witnessed. It can follow all sorts of different lines, but basically the adult helps the child "understand" what happened. Very often, life lessons are transmitted and dealt with.

To jump ahead, imagine that you have explained to the child the situation that they witnessed. You've responded to the child's questions, and illustrated in a manner that the child can understand, many of the important aspects of the event.

Depending on the exact situation, you might say that one of the two men was "sick" and had mental problems. Subsequently, that man acted in a way that was violent, agressive, etc. You might also explain that the police that came afterwards took the man to a special hospital that specializes in people who have mental problems.

All this information goes into the child's brain and helps them make sense or order of the experience they witnessed. They come to "understand" the thing they saw and can put it in context that is important for them. Such as, one, this does not happen very often. Two, this probably will never happen to me (the child is safe). Three, there do exist people who have difficulties and problems. Four, this has nothing to do with the child, but nonetheless it is important information to know and have. Etc, etc.

This is processing. The research and how this actually works is all over the internet. Just type "processing trauma" into Youtub. It's a technical term for "understanding" which can equate to "healing".

But of course we can go farther. Certain events that occur never get processed. This means they leave a mark of confusion, danger, mystery, anger, fear, etc in the person who experienced them, but did not understand the thing they witnessed or experienced. Children who witness violence which is not "processed" have no ability to understand what truly occurred, what the meaning could be, and how this relates to them.

As an infant child (0-4) I was witness to violence between my mother and father. This was NEVER explained to me, by anyone. After five years of this, my biological father left and life continued as "normal". Except that everything was all messed-up. I was constantly terrified. I felt unsafe and unprotected. I'd also been abandoned by my biological father. From one day to the next he disappeared. Next to nothing was explained to me. For whatever reason, I was left in the dark. And I've been there ever since. So when I would wake up every morning in terror and fear in the gut of my body, I had NO idea what it was or could be. I didn't even know it was out of the ordinary. Slowly I learned. I went into depression, went to therapists, started trying to "deal" with "something" inside me.

No one was there to help me process that experience. I've since done it myself. But of course, the neural networks are well in place now, and the things I put into place as a baby to protect myself (a great deal of dissociation) has not helped me as an adult. So now I'm "processing" my own neural networks as well and trying to get them to stop firing for something that is just not there anymore.

Hope that helps!

[MountainGirl]

Chart, thanks for this. Yes, it does help. It explains, for example, why I do feel less frightened and anxiety prone now that my therapist has helped me sift through some gnarly memories. I really was kind of puzzled as to how I could feel an improvement in my life (not by any means a solution, but progress for sure) simply by talking to someone about it. Of course, the "someone" is trained in this stuff and was able to explain the dynamics. It really surprises me that things have gotten somewhat better with explanations like "positive reinforcement" or "parentification." Having a framework for understanding past trauma is really quite helpful. So yes, I can see your point. Thanks for the clarifying reply. I'll search out more on the net.

[Chart]

I just want to quickly add that one of the major effects of this Forum is exactly the process of finally understanding things that in the past were thought of as utterly strange and even worse, unique to us alone. Here on the Forum there is a very important recognition of "recurrence". So many of our experiences around trauma are actually incredibly common. This is not only supportive and explanatory, it suggests that there is a global problem probably much larger than we are conscious of. But the discussion here takes a lot the mystery out of what we have been through. For whatever 'better or worse' that could mean, we are not unique in what we are experiencing. It might even be that we are the most "normal" of all.