When’s the last time you had a good scream? No, that is
not about the accident, when you stub your toe on a corner table. That is about
going somewhere in the secluded place, where you can allow yourself a big loud
scream at the top of your lungs. It is probably have been a while, if ever, in
your adult life.
It is normal, that screaming is having strong negative
connotation to the people. It is usually associated with anger. But yelling at
someone because you are angry is not the same thing as screaming load to the
Universe to let out frustration.
Yelling at people out of anger is projecting your
emotions onto another person, and usually that does not solve issues. It is
usually because you have lost control and are not able to express yourself in a
calm matter. Notice that most conversations don’t start with yelling. Things
may start out pretty peacefully but as you start becoming more frustrated and
neither side seems to be “getting” the other, tempers flare and screaming
starts.
On the flipside, stress-screaming is controlled. You are
purposely planning to let out some steam verbally. Think of it as another
physical way to relieve stress and emotional frustration just like running,
squeezing a stress ball or boxing.
What is Primal Therapy?
Primal therapy is a trauma-based psychotherapy created by
Dr. Arthur Janov, who argues that neurosis is caused by the repressed pain of
childhood trauma. Dr. Gabor Mate, author of "When the Body Says No, The
Hidden Costs of Stress.", would agree with Dr. Janov.
Dr. Janov argues that repressed pain can be sequentially
brought to conscious awareness and resolved through re-experiencing
(re-feeling) the incident and fully expressing the resulting pain during
therapy.
“I have come to regard that scream as the product of central and
universal pains which reside in all neurotics,” states Janov. “I call them
Primal Pains because they are the original, early hurts upon which all later
neurosis is built. It is my contention that these pains exist in every neurotic
each minute of his later life, irrespective of the form of his neurosis. These
pains often are not consciously felt because they are diffused throughout the
entire system where they affect body organs, muscles, the blood and lymph
system and, finally, the distorted way we behave.”
Also called primal scream therapy or primal noise
therapy, this form of trauma therapy is high on the list of therapies effective
in solving stress resulting from trauma or repressed emotion.
Primal scream therapy was developed as a means of
eliciting the repressed pain. Janov criticizes the "talking
therapies" as they deal primarily with the cerebral cortex and higher
reasoning areas, and do not access the source of pain within the more basic
parts of the central nervous system.
Why it Helps?
Scientists suggest based on multiple studies, that
screaming actually can have a cathartic effect. For some people, it may become
highly therapeutic. When you have internally hidden and accumulated through the
extensive periods of time, stress, letting it out verbally may offer you a
sense of relief. When you are feeling flustered (not angry) releasing it out
can make you feel a little freer and take some weight off.
In fact, some colleges actually encourage students to let
out a “primal scream” to help relieve the stress of finals. The screaming helps
them to feel better, even thou the effect might be just temporary.
Dr Peter Calafiura, an American psychiatrist, agrees that yelling can
have a positive mental influence. “[Yelling] might trigger some endorphins, a
natural high,” he says. “They might feel calm and it might even be a little
addictive. It’s really similar to a runner’s high. They’re getting the same
effect in a different way.”
Therefore, primal scream therapy is a legitimate form of
psychotherapy used to treat anxiety, trauma and stress. Obviously, not all your
stress may be directly linked to particular traumatic event, but the research
shows that screaming can in fact, be therapeutic for some people.
Take a Primal Therapy
Survey
Take this survey to learn if primal therapy could help
you. Chances are it can. Big chances are it can, because I doubt, there will be
any adult reader, honestly answering the questions, and still saying NO to all
of them.
If you answer, YES, to anything on the list, then you
could potentially benefit from primal therapy. Note that all the statements are
very cautious, giving a long range of the possible benefits suggestions, but
careful enough not to claim it a magic remedy for all. Because… all people are
different, and before you actually try, you cannot tell.
Survey:
·
Were you premature at birth?
·
Were you below normal weight for your gestation
age at the time of delivery?
·
Did your mother receive pain relieving drugs or anesthesia
during labor?
·
Did you require active resuscitation after birth
(as needed with babies born blue)?
·
Did you spend time in an incubator or a special
baby unit after birth?
·
Were you circumcised shortly after birth?
·
Were you breast-fed?
·
Did you undergo the procedure of genital
mutilation as a child?
·
Do you have suicidal impulses?
·
Have you ever attempted suicide?
·
Have you ever been admitted to a hospital for
psychiatric treatment?
·
Have you ever been raped or sexually assaulted?
·
Are you a survivor of childhood sexual or
physical abuse?
·
Do you use recreational drugs, or have you used
them in the past?
·
Are you currently on tranquilizers?
·
Are you subject to heavy use of alcohol?
·
Have you ever been diagnosed as being alcoholic?
·
Do you regularly smoke tobacco?
·
On average how many cups of tea/coffee do you
drink per day?
·
Do you regularly suffer from anxiety?
·
Do you regularly suffer from depression?
·
Do you suffer from phobias?
·
Are you subject to recurrent destructive
thoughts that enter your mind in an obsessive fashion?
·
Do you have frequent muscle tension?
·
Do you have high blood pressure?
·
Are you subject to heart palpitations?
·
Are you subject to excessively cold hands and/or
feet?
·
Have you been diagnosed to have any other
disease of the heart or circulation?
·
Do you have asthma?
·
Do you have tension headache?
·
Do you suffer with migraines, which have been
medically diagnosed?
·
Are your menstrual periods usually regular?
·
Do you suffer from P.M.S.?
·
On average, how many hours of sleep do you have
per night?
·
Do you feel rested when you get up in the
morning?
·
Do you usually have difficulty falling asleep?
·
Do you use hypnotic drugs (sleeping pills) to
ensure sleep?
·
Do you have nightmares?
·
Have you tried psychoanalysis in the past?
·
Have you tried transactional analysis in the
past?
·
Have you tried behavior modification in the
past?
·
Have you tried bio-energetics in the past?
·
Have you tried transcendental meditation in the
past?
·
Have you tried hypnotherapy in the past?
·
Have you tried biofeedback in the past?
·
Have you tried re-birthing in the past?
·
Have you tried electro-shock in the past?
·
Have you tried drug therapy in the past?
·
Have you tried counselling in the past?
·
Do you ever cry?
·
When was the last time you cried?
·
How would you rate your social life?
·
Have you ever been subjected to violence?
·
Have you ever engaged in any violent behavior?
How to Scream to
Relieve Stress (Without Seeming Crazy)
Let’s be honest, you are definitely going to look insane
screaming in the middle of the office, even if you do it in a fancy scream box.
We do not advise you just start yelling in the middle of a crowded room during
the stressful meeting.
It is better to find safe private space for hearty
scream. Ideally, somewhere other people can’t hear you. Screaming in your
apartment is probably a good way to have the police knocking at your door to
calm you down through the means they have.
Some good options are:
·
Your car (assuming nobody else is around)
·
A mountain or somewhere high up
·
A sound proof room, if you can find one
·
Near a train track, just wait for the trains to
go by so it can drown out your noise
·
A beach or park early in the morning when nobody
is there
·
Into a pillow
The most important thing to remember is to look for
places where nobody is around.
Next is the actual scream. How loud should you scream?
How long should you scream for? Do you have to scream out words or just yell?
The answer to all of these questions is the same. It doesn’t matter, there are
no rules!
You’re just trying to let out some stress. Scream as loud
as you want, for as long as you want and however you want. As long as you feel
some relief afterward, that’s all that matters. You can effectively get rid of
much of the negative and harmful energy in your system by simply yelling for
1-3 minutes. Remember: Long, deep yelling, from the stomach, not the throat.
I feel like a million trucks, each with a million bucks in them, after
I yell for 1 minute. A huge weights lifts from my body after a quick session.
Sometimes, more than others, and I assume that is because sometimes, I am
carrying more emotional baggage. We know that the body must keep in motion, to
keep clean. We know we must breathe deep to circulate blood through the entire
body. We know we must drink plenty of water to keep our machine-like bodies
running smooth. We also know that becoming stagnant paves breeding grounds for
illness. We also know that the human body is energy, emits energy and can
influence surrounding energy. Yelling is a tool in which we can help release,
pent up, harmful energy (often caused by early hood trauma) which manifests in
the body as a variety of medical, life threatening issues.
What if it does
not help?
Like all stress management techniques, screaming is not
going to work for everyone. If you just feel weird and awkward after letting
out a good stream, but still stressed out, maybe it’s not your thing. Try other
stress management techniques, which may work better for you.
Warning: Be careful, applying this methodology, as for
some people such cathartic approaches would not be suitable. If you one of
them, stop your experiments immediately.
Sources and
Additional Information:
