The Hypothetical Basis of DBR
Many authors have written about the importance of orienting in trauma. In DBR there is a focus on the principal brain structure for orienting – the superior colliculus of the midbrain.
Whenever there is a grabbing of the attention by a significant stimulus, the deep layers of the superior colliculi activate the muscles of the neck in readiness for head movement (even when no movement occurs). In humans, this orienting tension can also occur in the muscles around the eyes or in the forehead. Asking a person to focus on the Orienting Tension associated with a traumatic or highly triggering event provides an anchor against being overwhelmed or lost in dissociation. The Orienting Tension also keeps the memory’s “information file” open for processing; that is, the emotions and memories that come up are linked by the underlying sequence that has been identified. One sequence may underlie many different events or experiences so it can be economical of time and energy to allow the sequence to process rather than work through the individual traumas one by one.
The individual is first helped to become grounded in an awareness of where they are in the present moment. Then, the person accesses their initial awareness of the traumatic experience, as well as the orienting tension associated with this awareness. This isolates the body’s immediate response from the subsequent emotional and defensive responses. This Orienting Tension, although often fleeting and unnoticed, is a major component of DBR. The focus on upper face and neck tension gives an anchor in the part of the memory sequence that occurred before the shock or emotional overwhelm. Deepening awareness into the Orienting Tension provides an anchor for grounding in the present so that the mind is not swept away by the high intensity emotions that may arise during trauma memory processing.
When the stimulus that grabbed the attention has been shocking or horrifying there has been an immediate activation of the locus coeruleus, another brainstem structure which is in close, two-way, communication with the superior colliculus. This shock response is called preaffective in DBR because it happens before the affective and defensive responses. If preaffective shock is identified during a DBR session it can often be processed quickly, making easier any subsequent clearing of distress in relation to the traumatic event.
After the shock (if present), there is involvement of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a columnar structure of the midbrain. The PAG is the critical brain area for defensive responses such as flight, fight, and freeze – and for the affective responses to trauma, such as fear, rage,grief, and shame. In DBR, we aim to promote memory processing that follows the logical course of trauma activation through the superior colliculi into the PAG.
As noted above, this work does not become overwhelming – or lead to dissociation – when there is a good anchor in the Orienting Tension. This has led many therapists to report good results with DBR-focused processing, especially for cases that include early attachment traumas such as those that underlie dissociative disorders. DBR has been observed to result in shifts in how people see themselves, others, and the world, with increases in self-compassion and reductions in trauma-related cognitive distortions, symptoms, and reactions.
The Hypothetical Basis of DBR
Many authors have written about the importance of orienting in trauma. In DBR there is a focus on the principal brain structure for orienting – the superior colliculus of the midbrain.
Whenever there is a grabbing of the attention by a significant stimulus, the deep layers of the superior colliculi activate the muscles of the neck in readiness for head movement (even when no movement occurs). In humans, this orienting tension can also occur in the muscles around the eyes or in the forehead. Asking a person to focus on the Orienting Tension associated with a traumatic or highly triggering event provides an anchor against being overwhelmed or lost in dissociation. The Orienting Tension also keeps the memory’s “information file” open for processing; that is, the emotions and memories that come up are linked by the underlying sequence that has been identified. One sequence may underlie many different events or experiences so it can be economical of time and energy to allow the sequence to process rather than work through the individual traumas one by one.
The individual is first helped to become grounded in an awareness of where they are in the present moment. Then, the person accesses their initial awareness of the traumatic experience, as well as the orienting tension associated with this awareness. This isolates the body’s immediate response from the subsequent emotional and defensive responses. This Orienting Tension, although often fleeting and unnoticed, is a major component of DBR. The focus on upper face and neck tension gives an anchor in the part of the memory sequence that occurred before the shock or emotional overwhelm. Deepening awareness into the Orienting Tension provides an anchor for grounding in the present so that the mind is not swept away by the high intensity emotions that may arise during trauma memory processing.
When the stimulus that grabbed the attention has been shocking or horrifying there has been an immediate activation of the locus coeruleus, another brainstem structure which is in close, two-way, communication with the superior colliculus. This shock response is called preaffective in DBR because it happens before the affective and defensive responses. If preaffective shock is identified during a DBR session it can often be processed quickly, making easier any subsequent clearing of distress in relation to the traumatic event.
After the shock (if present), there is involvement of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a columnar structure of the midbrain. The PAG is the critical brain area for defensive responses such as flight, fight, and freeze – and for the affective responses to trauma, such as fear, rage,grief, and shame. In DBR, we aim to promote memory processing that follows the logical course of trauma activation through the superior colliculi into the PAG.
As noted above, this work does not become overwhelming – or lead to dissociation – when there is a good anchor in the Orienting Tension. This has led many therapists to report good results with DBR-focused processing, especially for cases that include early attachment traumas such as those that underlie dissociative disorders. DBR has been observed to result in shifts in how people see themselves, others, and the world, with increases in self-compassion and reductions in trauma-related cognitive distortions, symptoms, and reactions.