Catastrophic Events - Part 2: The LOSS Cycle

Faced with catastrophic events or catastrophic news, our bodymind goes into a state of shock.

According to Dr. Hamer, German Oncologist, trauma (whether physical, emotional or mental) produces a "short circuit" or "short-circuits" in the brain which, if not healed, develop into degenerative/catastrophic illnesses 6 months to 20 years down the road... we will come back on this in the WILDERNESS cycle.

The LOSS cycle is characterized by a state of numbness toward some parts of life and of heightened awareness toward others. Things which used to be important loose their meaning. Priorities shift.

When I was being pursued by a sociopath and had to run for my life, paying the bills or cleaning the house did not matter any longer. Reaching personal goals did not matter. What I ate did not matter. I became focused on survival. My energy level soared. My memory became instantly amazing. I could remember dozens of phone numbers, street and email addresses to navigate from one place to another, while keeping in touch with clients, friends and family.

When faced with a painful chronic disease, once again, my priorities shifted instantly. In that instance, I did not go into a heightened memory state, but into a sleepy, dozing state, facing eternity.

Denial is found in the LOSS cycle. Thoughts like

"This is NOT possible."
"This cannot be happening to me."
"There must be a mistake."
"I must be dreaming."
"This will be over shortly, and life will return to 'normal'."

cross our mind, over and over and over.

The beliefs we hold dear are shattered. The compass of our life swings wildly, pointing in no certain direction. An overwhelming sadness envelops us.

Allow yourself to go through the process of the LOSS cycle. Do NOT suppress these emotions, they are healthy and need to be processed. Do NOT push them down and "play tough". This only causes more harm later. As much as possible, surround yourself with friends and family, who allow you to be numb, sad, in denial. They may feel powerless to comfort you, yet their presence is important: holding hands, hugging, making sure you keep hydrated and maybe even eat a few bites. They can help you keep panic at bay.

One emotion which is NOT part of the LOSS cycle is PANIC. Do NOT panic: it is not needed to process an event, nor is it helpful. YES, you can do it. One way to keep panic at bay is to change your breathing pattern. Put the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth, and take deep, slow breaths, breathing deep into your belly. While doing this slow breathing, tap on the side on your hand (the karate chop) with your other hand. Tapping on the bottom of your foot, or stamping your feet will also help to keep you grounded.

The LOSS cycle lasts an average of three days, and ends by the acceptance of the event or the news.

Next, we enter the WILDERNESS cycle, which we will explore in the next blog.