When we are faced with trauma Our conscious mind shuts down Decision making ceases And we are left to drown To fight or flight, freeze, or fawn The choice is not our own Our brain jumps to survival When faced with the unknown Some victims may start fighting May kick or scream or cry Feel overwhelming anger Thinking it’s do or die Others may fidget or shake And run away and hide Or they disassociate Escape on the inside Others may be paralyzed Cold, numb, heavy, and pale Feeling overwhelmed with dread Like if they fought they’d fail Others seemingly give in And willingly appease Finding hope in compliance They’d rather try than freeze There’s no right or wrong response Or way to be prepared Having a plan in advance Won’t matter if you’re scared Your brain becomes a blank slate And logic falls away And all you can focus on Is surviving the day People aren’t trauma informed They think you made a choice To prolong your suffering And stifle your own voice So they give their opinions “Flag down someone in sight” “Say no or scream; do something!” Convinced they know what’s right Unsolicited advice On what they would have done Invalidating comments “You really should have run” Victim shamed by those you trust They just don’t understand Constantly remind yourself That they weren’t dealt your hand Let them keep their innocence Bury your truth within Try to make them comfortable Like you wish you had been
Written Fall/Winter 2019
Talking Through Trauma 