Addressing Traumatic Stress brought on by Chronic or Terminal Illness.
By Anne M. Curtis, MA, CTSS, RDT.
This video demonstrates how methods to lower traumatic stress and build resilience create greater quality of life for Parkinson’s patients & caregivers.
It is important for the field of traumatic stress to address trauma associated with the diagnosis of a chronic or potentially terminal illness. Patients and family members know that there is no cure. They face more and more debilitating symptoms physically mentally and emotionally.
What I love about the video is how the members of the Cheer>Up support group no longer look like Parkinson's patients or caregivers as they immerse themselves in the expressive arts therapies. They seem to come back to life during the sessions!
Theatre teaches them how to move, breathe, speak and choose the way they play their roles in life. They learn to imagine themselves as heroes rather than victims. They discover that resilience builds from saying, "Yes" to difficult circumstances "And" finding the best ways to cope and find joy in the precious present. The patients and caregivers increase oxytocin production through social connections as they work in groups to create improvisational scenes. Novelty and challenge, exercise both sides of the brain, building critical problem solving skills. The group members discover ways to enhance quality of life through psycho-educational experiences that rehearse resilience. They act "As -If" in creative scenes and use laughter to promote dopamine production in the brain. I teach them "faux laughter" techniques using "Improv-a-Laugh" strategies.
I developed "Trauma Drama" as a holistic, safe, experiential approach to working with trauma. This is a psycho-educational strategy based on the algorithm:
Metaphor+ Expressive Arts+ Humor = Stress Reduction + Heightened Resilience
Metaphor: Symbols address traumatic issues and teach coping skills while lowering PTS. Metaphor creates a safe distance from the trauma and produces a positive shift in perception.
Expressive Arts: Creative activities mindfully engage the creative side of the brain to lower stress chemicals produced by the “Flight or Fight” reaction. Reducing levels of stress hormones allows the logical side of the brain to become activated and begin to process the trauma and learn resilience.
Humor: Laughter is a catalyst that breaks down resistance and builds positive attitudes. It replaces stress chemicals, such as cortisol, with endorphins (+ dopamine) to produce positive affect. Humor is a key resilience skill. “Improve Life with Improv-a-Laugh” is my unique technique for harnessing humor, as needed, to lower stress. This mirth method is based on studies that show the brain perceives a “faux” laugh as real and releases all the healing chemicals associated with real joyful laughter.
I have been using similar methods for over 20 yrs. with cancer support groups, grief support and in programs for frail elders. I have worked in hospitals providing stress-relief and hope at the bedside, in waiting rooms, in behavioral health groups and outpatient chemo areas.
I believe the traumatic stress aspects of serious long-term terminal illness are too often overlooked. The emotional side of health care is extremely important and frequently ignored as an integralpart of the healing process. I am happy to share my methods with ATSS members. Together, we can reduce the emotional burden carried by patients and families suffering from chronic or terminal illness.