Storytelling and Empathy
This frequently involves focusing on stories that are inherently deserving of empathy – often because the characters are pushed to the margins of society. As a result, these stories may depict characters experiencing trauma, but in a way that invites broader audiences to empathise – especially when the individuals portrayed require greater understanding and compassion from that audience.
Trauma on Set: A Wider View
It’s also important to consider, from the perspective of producers and crew working with such subject matter, just how widespread trauma is – everyone will have experienced it in one form or another. Understanding this can help teams learn how to support each other’s nervous systems and create a safe, supportive working environment.
Historically, trauma can be understood as widespread and often invisible – pain that is unspoken and not always easily recognised, as it does not necessarily present with physical characteristics. It is experienced by thousands, if not millions, of people around the world.
So, what is trauma? In The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice, Staci K. Haines defines it as:
“An experience, series of experiences, and/or impacts from social conditions, that break or betray our inherent need for safety, belonging, and dignity.”
When a person experiences trauma – and all people do, in one form or another, and to varying degrees – it is not limited to those diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or its variation, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). The ways in which the brain and body respond to trauma are remarkably adaptive. These physiological responses are what enable us to survive – and for that reason, they are known as survival responses.
Navigating Trauma in a Production Environment
With this understanding of trauma and its impact, the next important question becomes: how can a production safely, carefully, and empathetically support cast and crew who may have experienced some of the traumatic events reflected in the story they are telling together?
One of the most helpful resources for those working with traumatic subject matter – whether within the narrative itself or in the responses it may evoke in the people involved – is an understanding of how to respond to triggering stimuli, and how to navigate working alongside the body’s natural survival system.
Understanding the Brain’s Role
What is the amygdala?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure located inside the brain. It’s part of the larger limbic system. When it comes to survival, the amygdala and the limbic system play a crucial role – they are responsible for automatically detecting danger. They also influence behaviour, emotional regulation, and learning.
What does the amygdala do?
Fear is the primary emotion associated with the amygdala. That’s why it’s essential for survival – it processes visual and auditory input to help the brain learn what is potentially dangerous. When you encounter something similar in the future, your amygdala triggers feelings of fear or related emotions to protect you.
Survival Responses and the Nervous System
One of the body’s key survival mechanisms is the fight-or-flight response. This reaction increases oxygen flow and directs blood to skeletal muscles, allowing us to either confront or escape danger. Another important response is freeze. While further research is still needed – particularly in humans – this response is believed to result from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems activating either simultaneously or in rapid succession.
For individuals who have experienced trauma, these survival responses – especially fight, flight, or freeze – can be triggered even in the absence of real danger. When this happens, it is referred to as a trauma response.
Key Components of the Nervous System
Sympathetic Nervous System: Responsible for activating the body’s fight, flight, fawn, or freeze response. It prepares the body to respond to perceived threats by increasing alertness, heart rate, and energy availability.
Parasympathetic Nervous System: Activates the body’s “rest and digest” response. It supports recovery by slowing the heart rate and promoting relaxation and repair.
Autonomic Nervous System: A division of the central nervous system that regulates involuntary functions. Its job is to keep us alive by constantly assessing safety and threat in our environment.
Vagus Nerve: Connects the brain to various organs and helps convey messages of safety or danger. It plays a crucial role in regulating stress and restoring balance.
Breathing: The only autonomic function we can consciously control. Slow, deliberate breathing – especially with longer exhalations—can activate the parasympathetic system and calm the body.
Autonomic Nervous System Overview
The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary functions and responses, constantly working to assess whether people or environments are safe, dangerous, or life-threatening. It contains two key branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Both influence similar functions but in opposite ways.
In high-threat situations – real or perceived – the sympathetic system activates more intensely. This can result in a freeze response, where the body effectively “plays dead.” This involuntary and ancient reaction is seen in many animals. Understanding it has been key in legitimising why some trauma survivors may not fight or flee in moments of harm.
In these heightened states, the sympathetic system overrides parasympathetic activity to prioritise survival. The parasympathetic system, by contrast, slows things down and helps return the body to a resting state. It plays a vital role in long-term health by maintaining balance across bodily systems.
You might think of the sympathetic system as the accelerator, and the parasympathetic system as the brake – both essential to managing and recovering from stress.
On-Set Triggers and Grounding Techniques
These responses can easily be activated in on-set environments, especially when actors or crew are dealing with sensitive or traumatic subject matter. What feels calming or activating is deeply personal – there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
In general, slowing the breath – particularly by lengthening exhalations – can support parasympathetic activation. Another helpful grounding technique involves naming visible objects in the room (e.g., “chair,” “curtain”), which can help reconnect someone to the present moment and remind them that they are in a safe space.
Respecting Trauma Responses
It’s crucial to remember that when someone experiences a trauma response – whether or not they have a formal diagnosis like PTSD – it is their body and brain doing exactly what they are designed to do: protect them from perceived danger. Even in a professional environment like a film or television set, these responses are not signs that someone is being “difficult,” “crazy,” or incapable.
They are survival responses – ancient, deeply embedded in the brain, and shared across the animal kingdom. Recognising and respecting them is part of building safer, more compassionate sets and production environments.
Written by 6ft From The Spotlight Wellbeing Facilitator, Alexandra Healy.
