Understanding Trauma: Learning Brain vs Survival Brain 

Exceptionally well said and illustrated

Hello Jacob. :) I found your video about survival vs non survival brain. I have listened to a few of your videos because I am a teacher and I feel it is important to always refresh my mind. I'm also breaking free again from the survival mindset after an abusive relationship. I am wondering, are you bilingual and would you be interested in collaboration with me on something small. :)

i suffered cptsd. i survived 11 years of abuse from the so called love of my family and a sick father. my friends said my family would kill me one day. i htought i iout wit them in the game and they did not want to swallow i got to rise up to me over them and have a life thrive.. these are not educated intellegent persons but think they know and can control others. without any education. they have no insight to trauam even if they had to have something. i did not lose sight of me or break in 11 years of torture they did calling it love and the trauma. my father a sick dr. i had to be my own dr and know all of this shit from common sense. they wanted me to be the sick one. not them. it failed. i got the life and i was at risk. no dr cared to even care about what is trauma or me be at risk, i was an artist and got my life freedome talent back and was a target person of abusers. who could not fool or break me. they did not igve up. 24 years into my half my age miracle life after the list of them abiuser terorsit who seek to damage others with rape and abuse. failed. i manage to undermine them and get my it life happy after all them years and smile and know murder was up if i got there. not one drs cared about this and this is so basic a 15 year old could get it but not a family. What about drs,, Drs make all of this complicated and its just basic. When drs failed to recognize my trauma and at risk. i was left on my own . and i manage to keep survive until i was attack shark attack. taken by a plot and sucker punched and my life and all of ny work undermine by a game and raped and beaten down while drs refused to remove me until i began to die. my brain disintigrated while persons began to attack me and torture the genius out of me and i began to suffer the worst form of mental damage. i fought off rapist murdering abusers while family and drs ignor eme because they wanted me to be mentally ill. now they got it. Trauma. is so simple if you get it at onset and i got to drs and they made me feel i was talking some strange delusion and did not remove me, and i was mutiated.. i sent this mans stuff to a sister to get her to wake up.. an she called me violent and jelous of her. insane . i am to die now on death row of tragic im sitting on death row as terminaly damaged and tortured for 4. years. i wonder why this man is teaching.. if drs do not know this and he does not take new patients..

I totally agree about the baby and mommy elephants.,

It's absolutely terrible how the adults in our life can knock our confidence at such a young impressionable age. It can be so hard to believe in ourselves when we're constantly being told negative things or living in a negative unhealthy environment. So proud of you for breaking through the barriers and learning to believe in yourself and in your potential. May you keep on growing, learning and being proud of your great achievements 💪 God bless you 🙏💖

Amazing keep it up !! Thank you for sharing

I can so relate... I got a 2.8 in high school, similar for bachelors... and then in Master's got a 4.0 and was offered scholarships for PhD!

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Beautiful to hear! Your resilience is inspiring, keep it going you've got this!

Im watching this while falling asleep and i swear all these people have pure asmr voices

Was wondering why none has mentioned that☺

@@ananth227 why don’t you ?

I know!

He sounds like Yo Yo Ma...He really does.

Change your diet.

@@mh1066 Thanks for the advice. I am trying to eat raw foods and drink water.

Mine- *is both 50/50*

Same

I know what you mean Candace... As a clinical Pharmacist I can suggest some crucial proven factors... Excercise (actually makes more neurotransmitters such as serotonin (the brains 'happy' chemical) dopamine, endorphins etc) ...thus calming the mind and improving physical health! If I had a pill that had all the benefits of exercise it would be the worlds most valuable pill. e.g. according to new research, experts have found that consistent aerobic exercise may not only slow down the effects of aging, but ultimately REVERSE the effects. - Meditation... This is huge...actually shrinks the amygdala...the small area of brain that is the culprit...it "fires" off the 'perceived threat' alarms in the first place! So calming these amygdalae ( there are two..mone on each side) actually heals the brain. Others are of course Sleep, Nutrition, Social contacts, and just doing more of what you enjoy...and finally... Everything in moderation ..is my motto.

same

Me in high school...

U can say that again

Yep

Me too, till this day

Wow, sounds like you've learned some tough lessons learning how your particular child may have needed to be loved.

Hello Timothy, Thank you for sharing a little bit about your journey with your son. I train people who want to work in disasters to provide psychological first aid to those impacted by the disasters. In the trainings we discuss how our brain subconsciously controls us physically in areas of sickness, development etc. without us knowing it. I've never personally known anyone that can share this kind of example from their own lives before. Would you be open to connecting and sharing more of your experience so that I can educate people that respond to those in trauma better?

Try EMDR therapy

One student I had worked with has the height and body of a 9 years old although she is now about 20 years old. It was hypothesized the lack of B12 or dietary nutrients are major contributors if some individuals are small built, due to lack of proper nutrition in formative years.

@@JacobHamPhD So the key is tp have grounded and realistic expectations?

Same. Now the problem is to rewire our brain. How could we do that lol :')

It's definitely possible. Keep listening to what your body and soul think are the next steps. each person's path is differnt.

@@JacobHamPhD Thank you for the reminder, Jacob. It took a long time for our emotional wires to get crossed & for seemingly-perpetual survival mode to become the norm. Listening to "what the body & soul think are the next steps" as you remind us here. And when I'm not listening to YOUR calming, wise voice -- which I love so much -- then my own patient, gentle self-reminders are helping me find the narrow path which often feels hidden ... like moving through a thick dark forest on a moonless night.

There are plenty of videos of baby boys being sexually tortured and genitally mutilated right here on RU-vid, yet doctors ignore circumcision like it is as innocuous as a flu shot. Quack! Quack! Quack!

The good news is ALL of this applies to adults just as it does to children, especially if those adults have untreated trauma themselves (as many of us do). Think about the baby elephant analogy and how it relates to collaboration at work. We're more likely to try and learn new things when we feel supported and encouraged to try new approaches to our work; many I work with often say they're "just surviving" when asked how they are, and it always makes me think of this.

@@amandacourtney9806 dealing with a current trauma induce on me by preditors family after it took me 24 years to overcome their so called toxic love.. and abuse. they said of course they did nothing to me. but abus eme induce munchausen by proxy set me up for murder and left me deaf ear and blind as i was a victim and shuut me up. but made bold actions to come aft3er me when i escape and became free. what is that about. th3 sister who was working with fath3er said at age 35. it was a form of protection i was a hostage for over 11 years i was 29 when i escape them and the love left me speachless and fearful and unable to be near strangers and it took work to ovecome. as i got there i was retrauatiaed in a twin experience and th3ey removed my tools to do this sent me back to heall damage my brain and induce deat3h on me. while the family was now put in to do same thing and toss me a few dollars and leftme to be turne into what they wanted of me not who i got to me . they are not here learning about trauma. that is criminal and fear if i ahd power they would be punished so i was labotomized. is also criminal..

There are many of them

@@jx14aby no shit sherlock

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I agree would love to see that.

That is exactly I want to know after this video.

Well said

There is definitely hope. I see it happen every day.

I know someone who is 38 and same situation. I sure wish I knew too what is the method for helping the most.

MENCADO thank you. Is this a book? Or is this an interview?

@@mollyisagurl8771 It's a RU-vid video.

EFT therapy really helped me with this, good luck on your journey

love this comment. it's so heartfelt. i hope the best for you. sitting in complexity and ambiguity is definitely the key!

My 18 yo diagnosed with RAD six years ago plans to attend university in the fall. I want to encourage her of the benefits of seeking a Disability Services Advisor. Any tips from your own positive experiences?

I think there's a lot of wisdom, strength and resilience in tolerating complexity and maintaining self-awareness in the middle of it too. So, kudos to you for making this realization. It's a great step forward.

Stafford. Blue. Van. Orange. Brae van. Henry. Spencer. Cranky.

Green. Salty. Pink. Truck. Blue. Van. J

Green. Salty. Pink. Truck. Blue. Van. Mavis. Edward. Jack. House.

LTTPUK meeee ugggh it’s exhausting

Adelsmana, How are you now ? Be careful what you feed your mind. To feel better reduce negative thoughts and overthinking. Avoid comparing with others, reduce negative social media and avoid constipation as it affects the mind instantly. Your breathing is closely related to the brain [mind] and gives relief from stress-anxiety. To relax sit on a chair or lie down, neck straight, eyes closed, avoid moving too much and observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils for 5-10-15 minutes or more. Never meditate with expectations but with awareness. Don’t fight your thoughts. With daily practice the mind will relax. No deep breathing needed. Observe your breath sensations before sleep, in college, at work, taking a walk, when reading, etc.etc. Like me, make this a lifetime daily habit to have a better life. Best wishes--Counsellor.

Thank you i try understand i think and heared your amygdala can be broken Im 50 and now alone traumatised sick so see no one hear no one .. rejected by family long time home prison Docters need help me im al summer and winter in hous feel like dying in panic dont have anyone anymore to talk was locked up before 7 years How to heal a broken borderline depression ..amygdala person .. pleac

Yes! And a community of strong, loving adults for ADULTS who are hurting too. We're all hurting at varying levels, especially trauma survivors (PTSD / cPTSD) & can use some mama elephant helpers around us. I believe with all my heart that being in a community of supportive, loving others is one of the most healing supports we can have -- the care of mama elephants again. I so love Jacob Ham's way of grounding this type of caring with a powerful story filled with unforgettable images -- baby elephants & mama elephants. I've been on a slow trauma healing journey for about 30 years. I've learned & healed a lot but have much more healing ahead. I just wish I could have been a stronger, wiser mama elephant for my own kids, but I didn't have the knowledge then. Even now -- as an adult with grown kids (my kids & I are close & we talk about these things to help each other heal) I long for some strong, wise mama elephants to surround me. Meanwhile, I'm listening to & reading Jacob Ham's wisdom nearly daily, learning to love my "parts" (No Bad Part model from IFS), and choose to believe that I can love myself toward healing. It sure would be lovely though to have a community of others to share with and to support (both giving & receiving). I could go on & on. Jacob's approach is a revelation to me (recently discovered Jacob via the Ten Percent Happier podcast a few months ago). Anyway, on this front of healing trauma through community, I'm considering looking for MeetUp groups for some in-person connection with others who are trauma survivors & who hopefully follow Jacob Ham's healing modality which I see as mostly Internal Family Systems work. Wishing everyone here some peace & healing. Jacob Ham's voice alone is calming, healing, & a joy to listen to for me. I hear a caring in his voice that's genuine & free for everyone to partake of. Thank you Jacob!

Yeah, definitely.

thank you!

amazing. thank you for sharing. this is very touching.

that's awesome. thank you for sharing.

That may actually be very true, though less and less. I still plan on making another video explaining why this is but in short I think the trick is to exercise purpose and intention (and all the other skills of the prefrontal cortex) in order to modulate the hyper-vigilance. I've just run out of money and time to make more videos for now. Each of these videos takes about 20 hours and a lot of money to make. I should really look into a patreon page...

Stafford. Blue. Van. Orange. Brake van. Henry. Spencer. Cranky. Hack.

Jacob Ham

Stafford. Blue

thank you for taking the time to comment. I'll put that on the ever growing list of videos to make. now, if only i had the time and money to keep this going more regularly!

I think Psychologists/Psychiatrists should lecture all teachers while they're in training. This should be an absolute must, so that teachers can recognise the symptoms of a 'frozen or damaged brain' early on in the child's school attendance, otherwise their next 12 years could be futile. They'd stay stuck!

i'm glad this opened up compassion in you for others

Try listening to the screams of a baby boy while he's being sexually tortured and genitally mutilated and ask yourself why Jacob Ham says nothing about it.