About the technique

 Psychological trauma is an emotional response to an event or a series of events that an individual perceives as deeply distressing or disturbing, which often overwhelms their ability to cope, causing feelings of helplessness and negative beliefs about themselves and the world around them, diminishing their sense of self, and their ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences. 

According to Gabor Maté, a renowned physician and author known for his work on addiction, stress, and childhood development, trauma is not just about the events that happen to us but more fundamentally about the internal disruption or disconnection that these events cause within us. Maté emphasizes that trauma is not the external event itself but the wound that is created internally within a person as a result of the external event. This wound affects an individual's capacity to be present in the moment and to engage fully with life. Maté also discusses the concept of intergenerational trauma, highlighting how the effects of trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next. This transmission can happen through various mechanisms, including parenting styles influenced by unresolved traumas, the direct impact of a parent's trauma-related behaviors on a child, and even epigenetic changes where the effects of trauma alter the expression of genes in the offspring. Intergenerational trauma is not just about the perpetuation of behaviors and patterns; it's also about the emotional and psychological wounds that are inherited from previous generations.

The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in the 1990s, offers a unique understanding of how our autonomic nervous system responds to stress and trauma. This theory is particularly insightful when examining childhood development and its impact on anxiety, depression, trauma, and intergenerational trauma.

1. Polyvagal Theory:  

1. Three-Part Model of the Vagus Nerve: Polyvagal Theory proposes that the VAGUS NERVE, traditionally viewed as a singular entity, has multiple branches that affect bodily response in different ways. These branches are:
   • The Ventral Vagal Complex: This branch controls social communication and self-soothing behaviors. It is active when we feel safe and calm, enabling social engagement and relaxed states.
   • The Dorsal Vagal Complex: This older, primal part of the vagus nerve triggers the "freeze" or "shutdown" response during perceived life-threatening situations. It's a more primitive response, associated typically with immobilization behaviors.
   • The Sympathetic Nervous System: When threatened, this system kicks in to enable the "fight or flight" response, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels to respond to danger.

1. Neuroception: A term coined by Porges to describe how neural circuits distinguish whether situations or people are safe, dangerous, or life-threatening. Neuroception explains how our bodies perceive threat levels without conscious thought, influencing our physiological state and, consequently, our emotional and social behaviors.
2. Social Engagement System: Polyvagal Theory emphasizes the importance of facial and vocal behaviors in the activation of the ventral vagal complex, promoting a state conducive to social interaction and bonding. This system is central to communication and can often be disrupted by trauma or stress.

2. Childhood Development: During childhood, consistent and nurturing social engagement is crucial for the development of a healthy ventral vagal response. This helps children learn to regulate their emotions and feel safe in social environments. However, in an environment of stress, neglect, abuse, or trauma, children may develop a reliance on the fight, flight, or shutdown responses, leading to issues with emotional regulation and social interaction.

3. Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma: When the body is frequently in a state of fight, flight, or shutdown, it can lead to chronic conditions like anxiety and depression. These conditions are often rooted in unprocessed trauma, where the body remains in a perpetual state of perceived threat.  According to Polyvagal Theory, trauma can affect the body’s ability to engage effectively with the world through the social engagement system. Traumatized individuals might have a more sensitive neuroception, which can mistakenly perceive threat in safe environments, leading to inappropriate activation of either the sympathetic or dorsal vagal responses. 

4. Epigenetics-Intergenerational Trauma: This refers to trauma that is not only experienced by one individual but is also passed down through generations. Children of parents who have experienced significant trauma may inherit these trauma responses, both through behavioral patterns and potentially through epigenetic changes. This inherited trauma response can alter their own stress responses, making them more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

The Polyvagal Theory thus provides a framework for understanding how our physiological responses to the environment, particularly in childhood, can shape our mental health and emotional responses. It emphasizes the importance of creating safe and nurturing environments for children to develop healthy coping mechanisms and reduce the transmission of intergenerational trauma.

Integration Technique Therapy (ITT) addresses the core of the five primary childhood emotional wounds on an unconscious level. The five core emotional wounds  – abandonment, rejection, humiliation, betrayal, and injustice – can be interconnected and understood through the lens of Schema Theory.

 Schema Theory, developed by psychologist Jeffrey Young, suggests that during childhood, individuals develop certain enduring patterns or themes in thinking, feeling, and behavior, known as "schemas." These schemas are formed in response to unmet emotional needs and experiences in childhood.

Emotional Wounds in Schema Therapy:

1. Abandonment Wound 
   • Origin: Typically stems from early childhood experiences where a primary caregiver was physically or emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or unpredictable
   • Psychological Consequences: 
     • Intense fear of being left alone or rejected
     • Clingy or overly dependent relationship patterns
     • Difficulty trusting others and forming secure attachments
     • Constant anxiety about potential relationship loss
     • May develop a core belief that "people will always leave me"

              2.   Rejection Wound 

• Origin: Experiences of consistent criticism, conditional love, or feeling fundamentally unacceptable during childhood
• Psychological Consequences: 
  • Profound sense of unworthiness
  • Hypersensitivity to perceived criticism
  • Self-protective mechanisms like emotional withdrawal
  • Tendency to pre-emptively reject others before being rejected
  • Low self-esteem and negative self-image
  • Potential development of people-pleasing behaviors to avoid rejection

              3. Humiliation Wound 

• Origin: Repeated experiences of public embarrassment, shaming, or being made to feel fundamentally inadequate
• Psychological Consequences: 
  • Chronic shame and self-consciousness
  • Extreme sensitivity to potential embarrassment
  • Avoidance of situations that might expose perceived weaknesses
  • Potential compensatory behaviors like perfectionism
  • Deep-seated belief of being inherently flawed or inferior

            4. Betrayal Wound 

• Origin: Significant experiences of trust being violated, often by key attachment figures or important relationships
• Psychological Consequences: 
  • Profound difficulty trusting others
  • Hypervigilance in relationships
  • Emotional guardedness and protective walls
  • Potential development of paranoid or suspicious thinking patterns
  • Challenges in forming intimate, vulnerable connections
  • Tendency to anticipate potential betrayal

            5.  Injustice Wound 

• Origin: Experiences of unfair treatment, consistent violation of personal boundaries, or systematic marginalization
• Psychological Consequences: 
  • Persistent anger and resentment
  • Strong sense of righteous indignation
  • Potential difficulty accepting compromise
  • Tendency to be overly defensive
  • Challenges in letting go of past grievances
  • May develop a rigid sense of moral superiority

Common Maladaptive Coping Strategies:

1. Emotional Survival Mechanisms 
   • Hypervigilance
   • Emotional numbing
   • Overcompensation
   • Self-sabotage
   • Defensive behaviors

1. Relationship Patterns 
   • Selecting partners who confirm negative self-beliefs
   • Recreating childhood dynamics
   • Difficulty maintaining healthy boundaries
   • Fear of intimacy

The interconnectedness lies in how these early wounds influence the development of long-standing schemas that affect an individual's perception of themselves and their relationships. Recognizing and addressing these schemas in therapy can be crucial for healing the emotional wounds of childhood.