Routine and Healing Trauma.
Consistency, routine, structure, and safety are all buzz words when working with trauma.
Trauma inherently disrupts our nervous systems, throwing us into states of hypervigilance, dissociation, anxiety, panic, etc. For someone who has experienced trauma, either in childhood or adulthood, seeking consistency and routine translates to establishing safety and cultivating healing.
A couple of ways in which routine can be healing for trauma.
- Give your nervous system a break
Often, experiencing heightened emotions such as fear and excitement can give you a rush- this can be addictive. You may be engaging in behaviors that create chaos or short thrills (think impulsivity, waiting until the last minute to leave to go somewhere, even self-sabotage) in order to ramp up your nervous system. Trauma primes our nervous systems for turmoil, and we may be inadvertently trying to find that sense of familiarity within our environment.
Rather than rushing through your life, a routine and schedule can help settle your nervous system and help you find peace and healing. Allow yourself to be still in the present moment, when you know what to expect, you don’t have to micromanage, control, or be forced to stay hypervigilant.
- Overlap between ADHD and trauma
In his book, “What Happened to You” Dr. Bruce Perry describes the overlap in the symptoms of ADHD and childhood/ complex trauma. In both ADHD and complex trauma (C-PTSD), we see issues with executive functioning, concentration, attention, sleep difficulties, hyperactivity. Here’s why:
- In response to trauma, a child’s developing brain can become programmed to be hypervigilant- constantly scanning the environment for threats. Hypervigilance can often mimic hyperactivity and distractibility that is associated with ADHD.
- Dissociation, a symptom trauma, can appear as inattention or “daydreaming” behavior that is often seen in ADHD.
- Intrusive thoughts, memories, or other reminders of trauma may make a child feel confused, agitated, or nervous, which can look like impulsivity and aggression that is associated with ADHD.
- Brain development studies for ADHD and childhood trauma show significant similarities in the areas that are affected (areas responsible for emotion regulation, decision making, memory, social processing, and concentration).
A consistent schedule does not only help with management of ADHD symptoms but also with C-PTSD because schedule and routine cultivate safety within your environment.
- Structure can allow for more joy in your life
Although it may seem counterintuitive, having structure and routine can create flexibility in your life.
When you keep a consistent schedule, you may find that you feel safe enough for spontaneity and fun. Joy is the most vulnerable emotion according to Brené Brown, and when you have a structure, you can allow yourself to have fun.
It can seem scary to try something new, so consistent schedules can help you to grow your courage. You deserve to live a little.
You may still make mistakes, but give yourself some compassion and permission to not be perfect.