What is toxic stress?
Toxic stress begins with an incident that causes an emotional reaction. Reactions in the body, such as a racing heart or suppressed appetite are meant to protect you and keep you alive. However, finding ourselves in these states frequently may be a result of unhealed toxic stress or trauma stored in the body.
What overwhelms our capacity to cope?
As humans, we sometimes experience an extreme stress that overwhelms our capacity to cope. Whether that's pressure to keep grades up, a recent loss, or another traumatic event, this stress can hinder how we function and interact with those around us. We refer to this as toxic stress or trauma.
Toxic stress is a subjectively perceived event and an extreme stress that overwhelms a person's capacity to cope. It usually involves a sense of helplessness and fear, and for some, the experience and feelings they get from it can become normal.
Toxic stress affects both the mind and body.
When a person is a survivor of toxic stress they sometimes have a difficult time putting their experience into words. They may have trouble being able to describe the experience “into a coherent account – a narrative with a beginning, a middle, and an end,” explains Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk. He goes on to share that often times we can create a “cover story” to provide some explanation of what we are experiencing. Because toxic stress affects both the mind and body, sometimes our bodies hold onto and have an imprint of the story while our minds have trouble being able to express it.
Reactions to a threat such as your heart starting to race, blood rushing to your larger muscles, and appetite disappearing are physical responses designed to keep you safe. They help you to prepare for whatever you may need to do next to keep you alive and safe, such as running away or fighting. These threatening experiences cause real physiological reactions in our bodies.
Many of us can get stuck in these heightened responses and it’s difficult for our bodies to naturally relax. We may start walking around always “on guard” in fear for our safety. When we continue to experience these reactions, the result of these unhealed traumas can have long-term effects on our bodies, leading to chronic pain and illness.
As humans, we cannot escape the experience of stress.
Stress is part of the human experience. At Vikara Village we believe everyone has or will experience toxic stress at some point in their lives. We also believe everyone has the ability to recover and heal from it.
Stress comes in many shapes and sizes. Just because someone has a stressful event or situation occur to them does not mean it will be toxic. There are many factors that play a part in whether or not it will become overwhelming to an individual. Below, we have provided a short list of a few examples of what could cause toxic stress:
- getting a bad grade on a test
- family pressures
- ending a romantic relationship
- rejection from a friend
- loss of a loved one or a pet
- witnessing or hearing about violence at home or in your community
- an unexpected family emergency
Healing toxic stress begins with focusing on a body-based approach. Mind-body practices, like movement and yoga, have been found to have a number of health benefits, especially in decreasing depression and anxiety and helping people to relieve stress. Trauma-informed yoga brings together brain development, biology, psychology, and the understanding of the unity and intersectionality of the mind and body.
Our Purpose + Peace Yoga program works with individuals who have a history of trauma or toxic stress. These classes offer yoga as a valuable tool in their healing. Learn more about beginning to heal toxic stress and trauma through our resources and programs!
If you are experiencing a crisis, please call your local Crisis Hotline, 911 or 988.