Cell Memory

What is cell memory you might ask? Well, it is something I think that we all should know about because it can effect everyone of us and our relationships with others. One of the key aspects of it is that physical, verbal abuse and trauma are recorded in the body the same. Doesn't matter what actually happened it is all the same as far as the body is concerned which puts out a signal of "fight or flight".

What does this mean? Well, it means that a person who suffered any kind of trauma will often find that feeling of fight or flight when a trigger goes off in the body. By trigger, I mean that if a person, often without conscious awareness feels as though they are put in a similar situation will react. The body which has recorded that pattern of trauma will put out a signal that there is danger which sends a chemical reaction through the body. The body then recognizes the signal in the cells as a warning and reacts to the trigger.

This can mean one minute you are having a lovely time with someone and the next that person may be upset, angry or wanting to leave. The whole key is finding what caused the trigger to go off and learning more about the trauma. Once this is established then it can help both parties as a base to work through the trauma and help strengthen a relationship without feeling helpless.

I had a personal experience like this happen while I was visiting Italy this summer with my husband and family. It was when we were in Venice and I found myself surrounded by all the pigeons. Lucky for me, my husband and I had discussed it before we went to Italy that it may happen and I was prepared to deal with it as it came. He even picked the words "Blueberry pancakes" as a code word to remind me in case I needed to leave or he felt that I needed to go.

Now that sounds funny when we look back on it now but it was not then and I had to remember what caused the reaction. We had always known that I was a little nervous around birds when friends had them as pets and always asked if I wanted to hold them. But it wasn't until I was talking to my Mom on the phone one day that a memory began to pop up of an incident that happened when I was two and we were in Italy.

I remembered my Mom used to take me to Rome to do some of her shopping. And while she was looking at the beautiful merchandise that was often outside on the plaza I would let go of her hand and run around close playing with my toys. I guess it was because I was small that the pigeons would swarm all around me as they did with everyone else and land on me in large numbers. All I remember was screaming as a sea of birds covered me and my mother was running to help me.

One of the things that I found even now that has not changed are the pigeons. They are so friendly that often they crowded around you and perch.
Looking back I realized that because of the patients and caring of my husband that walking on the plaza and confronting an old childhood terror that I was able to really enjoy being with my family and moving past my fear even though I was still feeling that old feeling of flight.... No pun intended!