WALK 1000 MILES VS PTSD
Trauma and PTSD can pin us to a painful past – but walking is more powerful than most realise for getting free, says psychotherapist Jenny Walsh, and these 1000-milers.
2.74 x 365 = walk1000miles.co.uk
WECAN ALL attest to the tingling satisfaction that follows a good walk. But as a psychotherapist specialising in PTSD in the NHS and in private practice, I’ve come to understand just how important it is to recognise the mind and body are not separate entities. A huge part of helping PTSD patients move towards recovery includes understanding what’s going on inside the body – and for good reason. Traditional talking therapy focuses on thoughts and behaviour, but a greater appreciation of the mind/body connection in recent years has led to more nuanced approaches that acknowledge the significant impact of psychological stressors on the nervous system. Research shows that trauma, especially when experienced over an extended period or during childhood development, can significantly affect our long-term physical health – and it works both ways. Psychiatrist Bessel Van Der Kolk says: “Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it’s also the imprint left on mind, brain, and body. Trauma results in a fundamental reorganisation of the way mind and brain manage perceptions. For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present.”
Thanks to polyvagal theory, we understand that the body gives continual emotional and physical feedback to the brain, which is interpreted largely as safety or danger. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one way of helping to reevaluate the beliefs sustained from trauma alongside learning to ‘re-educate’ our nervous system through various emotional and physical regulation strategies.
THE WALKING CURE
So how does walking help? As the brain is primarily interested in keeping us safe, living with PTSD means it’s more important for the body to be primed for action rather than relaxation, so system has learned to be on high alert ‘just in case’ and can be triggered by anything from a car backfiring to catching a particular scent in the air. Our sophisticated anxiety response means our vision narrows and sharpens as we look for threat, our breathing rate increases, and everything from our hearing to our blood circulation is geared towards escape or attack.
But when we’re out for a walk, we’ll find that our eyes relax, as we open our awareness to objects at different points across the landscape. Moving with intention reminds a body that feels ‘stuck’ in trauma that we have agency over our
