The Hidden Power of Survival Resources: How Resourcing Ourselves During Trauma
Imagine this: You’re a child in a stormy household, chaos swirling around you like a relentless hurricane. Your heart races, your mind screams for safety, but there’s no escape hatch in sight. In that moment of sheer desperation, your clever little self grabs onto whatever lifeline is within reach—maybe you become the family’s peacemaker, smoothing over arguments with a smile, or you bury yourself in books, vanishing into worlds far from your own. Fast forward to adulthood, and those same instincts linger, disguised as everyday habits. What if I told you these aren’t flaws to fix, but brilliant “survival resources” your body and mind deployed to keep you afloat? Buckle up as we dive into this eye-opening journey, exploring how we resource ourselves during trauma—and why understanding these survival resources could be the key to gentle, transformative healing.
What Are Survival Resources? Unpacking the Concept
At its core, survival resources are the ingenious strategies our nervous system activates when faced with overwhelming stress or trauma. Drawing from the wisdom of trauma expert Pat Ogden, whose groundbreaking work in her book illustrates these through a insightful diagram, survival resources aren’t about weakness—they’re about resilience. They’re the ways we’ve learned to meet immediate needs for safety, release, or escape when the world feels too much to bear.
Think of it like this: In the heat of trauma, choice isn’t always on the menu. We latch onto what works, even if it’s not perfect. And here’s the beautiful, non-judgmental truth—these survival resources have carried you this far. Recognizing them isn’t about shame; it’s about honoring your inner survivor and gently exploring healthier paths forward.
The Noble Facade: People-Pleasing and Workaholism as Survival Resources
Let’s start with one that hits home for so many: people-pleasing. Picture yourself as the eternal comforter, rushing to soothe others’ storms while your own rages inside. It’s noble, right? Clinging to people for safety, offering endless support—it’s a survival resource par excellence. By focusing on everyone else’s needs, you create a buffer from your own pain. But if you’re nodding along, recognizing that constant “yes” as a way to cope with past hurts, know this: It’s okay. This pattern kept you connected when disconnection felt deadly.
Closely tied is workaholism, that socially celebrated addiction. You’re the one burning the midnight oil, excelling at all costs, driven by an excessive need to know everything and stay perpetually busy. Society cheers: “Look at their success!” Yet, deep down, it’s mirroring the same escape as any addiction—heroin, alcohol, or otherwise. These survival resources meet a profound need for control and distraction in a chaotic world. If you’ve ever felt that shame after a burnout crash, remember: This wasn’t a choice; it was a lifeline.
The Alert State: Hypervigilance and Outbursts
Now, shift gears to hypervigilance, where anxiety reigns supreme. Always scanning for threats, ready to flee or fight—that’s your system on high alert, a classic among survival resources. It might show up as irritability, sudden outbursts, or shouting to let off steam. In the moment, it feels necessary: “Get safe, now!” But afterward, the shame whispers, “I shouldn’t have done that.”
If this resonates—perhaps from a childhood where predictability was a myth—see it as your body’s fierce protector. These survival resources aren’t “bad behavior”; they’re adaptive responses to unmet safety needs. By understanding them without judgment, we open doors to calmer, more grounded ways of being.
Escaping Reality: Addiction, Gaming, and Dissociation
Escapism takes many forms, all potent survival resources. Consider gaming or diving into fantasy universes—harmless in moderation, but when it’s 12 hours a day, sidelining sleep or responsibilities, it’s tipped into survival mode. The same goes for pornography, endless book-reading, or scrolling through social media on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook. Our youth, in particular, are wiring for phone-based connections over real-life ones, a subtle but profound shift.
Then there’s outright addiction: over- or undereating, alcohol, drugs, even self-harm like cutting. What need does cutting meet? Release, peace, escape—it’s not “terrible” to study; it’s human. These survival resources provide momentary relief when nothing else does. And dissociation? That’s the master of disconnection—detaching from unaccepted emotions, sleeping excessively, shutting down, or complying while pushing parts of yourself away. It’s compartmentalization at its cleverest, a way to survive by not fully feeling.
If you’ve ever felt detached, like you’re sleepwalking through life, this is your cue: These aren’t failures; they’re survival resources that deserve compassion.
The Double-Edged Sword: Rescuing and Extreme Endurance
Here’s a sneaky one: rescuing others. Swooping in to save the day sounds heroic, but as a survival resource, it often backfires. By getting entangled in others’ business without permission, you risk disempowering them, breeding resentment, or sparking conflict. It’s thankless, leaving you depleted and unappreciated. Yet, it meets a need—to feel needed, to distract from your own wounds.
And don’t overlook extreme physical pursuits: ultramarathons, cycling epics, weightlifting marathons. Socially applauded, sure, but if they’re every weekend at the expense of rest or relationships, question the “how.” Are these survival resources undermining more than they build? The line between growth and survival blurs here—intent matters.
Why Survival Resources Matter: From Survival to Thriving
As we wrap this exploration, remember: We don’t always choose our survival resources. In trauma’s grip, we grasp what works best in the moment. Patterns like people-pleasing, workaholism, hypervigilance, addiction, dissociation, self-harm—they’re all echoes of that resourceful child within, doing their best.
But here’s the empowering twist: Awareness is the first step to transformation. By viewing these without shame, we can nurture new, growth-oriented resources. What if, instead of judging, we got curious? What needs are these survival resources meeting, and how can we meet them more kindly?
If this stirs something in you—perhaps a recognition of your own patterns—consider booking a Clarity Call. It’s a gentle space to explore further, no pressure, just clarity on your path to healing.
Stay curious, dear reader. Your survival resources have stories to tell, and honoring them might just unlock the freedom you’ve been seeking. What’s one survival resource you’re ready to befriend today?
