174 The Many Faces of Trauma | Society-Shaped Trauma (Part 2): Poverty, Insecurity & Social Exclusion

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Chronic scarcity and instability can shape the nervous system in ways that look like anxiety, irritability, shutdown, or “burnout,” even when a person is working incredibly hard to survive. In this episode, we explore poverty, insecurity, and social exclusion as a society-shaped trauma pathway—where the threat is often not a single event, but ongoing conditions with limited control and limited recovery. Using simple polyvagal-informed language, we name common “invisible injuries” of scarcity stress, why shame so often gets layered on top, and what helps realistically—without pretending that regulation solves structural problems. We close with a short grounding practice designed to create a stabilising sense of contact, support, and one manageable next step.

In this episode, you’ll learn

• Why poverty and social exclusion belong in trauma education
• A clear nervous-system definition of scarcity stress (ongoing + low control + low recovery)
• Polyvagal-informed patterns: chronic mobilisation, shutdown, and cycling
• Common signs (non-diagnostic): sleep disruption, rumination, decision fatigue, shame, withdrawal
• What helps realistically: micro-stability anchors, 24-hour planning, buffers and community support, reducing shame exposure
• A grounding practice for stabilising under high load

Grounding practice (2–3 minutes): “3-Point Stabiliser”

• Find 3 points of contact (feet, back, hands)
• Press feet into the floor and release (twice)
• Phrase: “In this moment, I can take one step”
• Name one small next step

Check the website for the free resources offered for both those affected by trauma and those supporting them.

What’s next: Migration & Displacement Trauma: Losing Home, Language, Self

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