What Peter Levine is Talking about here is the sympathetic nervous system is "stuck on" (hyperarousal) and then the helplessness of being stuck in the parasympathetic system (hypoarousal) in response to a life threatening event Both are poor conditions to be in with everything racing there is impulsivity, risk taking, hypevigilance, poor decision making, frozen terror and addictions and self-destructive behaviours.
With hypoarousal we shut down, have no energy, feel that life is dull and that we are empty, depressed, anxious and in a victim state because we are so helpless to do anything. We get preoccupied with shame, self-hatred and despair. What makes the overwhelming helplessness even more unbearable is that to outside observers all appears calm, but inside it is chaos as both accelerator and brake are on.
Seen from this perspective of incomplete responses to life threatening events leaving us frozen in time, then completing the response as nature and evolution intended (and which we tend to override) can lead to a "thaw": resetting and returning to normal the self-regulating function of the nervous system.
The Biodynamic Breath and Trauma Release system, by releasing chronic muscular tension and trapped energy, can support this completion of the stuck response and potentially alleviate the symptoms of hyper-and hypo-arousal. This can allow us to fully enjoy life and allow us to make healthier choices.
Many people though, believe they have had no major traumatic event, but chronic stress, poor relationships, childhood experiences can accumulate and make us more vulnerable to a dis-regulated nervous system.
If you are experiencing symptoms or feel that your system is out of balance, then please do not hesitate to contact me, a conversation costs nothing and you may find a pathway through what you are experiencing.