Show Notes:

Throughout the Biology of Trauma Podcast, we discuss everything that goes into the biology of trauma, including emotional, psychological, and physiological components. Today, we will be focusing on the physiology of the nervous system with our guest, Dr. Stephen Porges who is a distinguished university scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director or the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium, and professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. We are going to bridge the worlds between medicine, functional medicine, neuroscience, and trauma therapy. The big question we will answer is What does the polyvagal lens say about attachment, freeze, and functional diseases?

What you will hear in this episode:

1. Looking at attachment through the polyvagal lens
2. The freeze response
3. Dissociation through the polyvagal lens
4. Social engagement through the polyvagal lens and how social engagement is actually a neuromodulator
5. Functional diseases viewed through the polyvagal lens
6. Our first step and where we start the work

Key Takeaways:

• [01:35] Introduction to Dr. Stephen Porges
• [06:43] Understanding that the body’s reaction is survival driven rather than blaming or shaming our response
• [08:58] The first step learned through somatic experiences is to witness your body
• [11:38] Understanding the freeze response
• [15:40] Being aware of our own body
• [18:11] Adaptive shutting down leads to functional diseases
• [22:21] Getting our bodies to feel safe

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