5 Ways to Heal Trauma without Drugs

If the memory of a traumatic event from the past still evokes strong emotion while thinking or speaking about it, there is a need for addressing and healing the trauma which registered in your body. 

Here are five drugless ways you can address trauma and change your relationship with the memories of past events:

1 – Tell the story of what happened to a person you trust, friend or therapist, and go over the story in great detail as many times as it takes until you feel neutral and at peace with telling the story.  See TIR - Traumatic Incident Reduction.

2 – Tire out your legs, for example by leaning against the wall with your legs bent at 90 degrees until they become shaky, then lie down and allow for the tremors to continue throughout the body until they spontaneously subside. Look up David Berceli, “Trauma Release Exercises” or TRE

3- Process the memory of a traumatic experience through body movement, breath and voice while paying attention to felt body sensations. See Peter Levin’s “Healing Trauma” and somatic experiencing.

4 – Tap the pain away through a blend of Western psychology and Eastern acupressure using the EFT – Emotional Freedom Techniques

5 – Dance the pain away! Start by connecting with the painful memory and express it through dance until the pain’s intensity peaks, then dance the letting go part, expressing the relief and peace which comes with healing. Look up 5 Rhythms dance and other conscious movement methods.

Trauma happens in the body, and can only be cured through the body, engaging the body’s wisdom with movement, touch and breath.