Bonita Ackerman du Preez
Bonita Ackerman du Preez
#32 Understanding the conscious mind and its challenges in trauma - part one
#32 Understanding the conscious mind and its challenges in trauma - part one
#32 Understanding the conscious mind and its challenges in trauma - part one
Thursday 6th February 2025
Explore how trauma affects the conscious mind and practical steps for recovery with Bonita Ackerman du Preez in this insightful episode.
7 minutes
Informative
Supportive
Compassionate
Encouraging
Honest
About this podcast
Author:
Bonita Ackerman du Preez
Overview:
Categories:
Recovery from Trauma
Healing from Sexual Trauma
Mindful Recovery
Healing Relationships
Entrepreneurship for Personal Growth
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Episodes:
35 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Understanding Trauma's Impact on the Conscious Mind
Episode Overview
- Trauma pushes the brain into survival mode, sidelining conscious thought.
- Traumatic memories are often fragmented and hard to process.
- Post-trauma, the brain stays in a heightened state of vigilance.
- Emotional flooding from trauma makes rational decision-making difficult.
- Dissociation can lead to feelings of detachment from reality.
Survival mode versus conscious mind – that's where the struggle comes in.
In this episode of The Trauma Recovery School, Bonita Ackerman du Preez dives into the complexities of the conscious mind and its challenges when dealing with trauma. Bonita, an award-winning master trauma recovery therapist, unpacks how trauma impacts our brain's ability to function normally, leading to a constant state of vigilance and survival mode. She explains how the brain prioritises quick reactions over thoughtful decisions during traumatic events, causing the conscious mind to take a back seat.
Bonita uses relatable examples, like encountering a bear in the woods, to illustrate how our brain's survival instincts kick in, sidelining our conscious thought processes. Bonita also discusses how trauma affects memory, making it difficult for the conscious mind to process and recall traumatic events accurately. This disorganisation of memories can lead to confusion and overwhelm, further complicating the recovery process.
She highlights the brain's heightened state of alertness post-trauma, which often results in misinterpreting threats and struggling with daily tasks. This constant state of vigilance drains energy and focus, making it challenging to concentrate, verbalise feelings, and maintain relationships. The episode delves into the emotional flood that trauma survivors experience, leading to intense reactions and difficulty making rational decisions.
Bonita touches on dissociation as a coping mechanism, where the conscious mind disconnects to protect itself, resulting in feelings of detachment from thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. Bonita's insights are not just theoretical; they are grounded in her extensive experience as a trauma recovery therapist. She offers practical advice and encourages those struggling with trauma to seek help through her Trauma Recovery Method program.
By understanding the conscious mind's challenges in trauma, listeners can begin to navigate their recovery journey with greater awareness and support. If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of how trauma impacts your conscious mind and practical steps to manage it, this episode is a must-listen.