Today I am (proudly) outing myself as a member of BTS ARMY. Suga has been my ultimate bias since day one of enlistment. When I first learned that he was known as the one who falls asleep a lot and is called a “grandpa” by the other members, I was like “Yep, that’s the one.” Such a deep connection already! 

Over the years, I began to appreciate Suga even more. His solo music published under the name Agust D was incredibly emotional and moving. The more I learned about his past and personality, the more I felt I could really relate to him. I was so excited when he announced a solo tour this year. My friend and I were lucky enough to get tickets to his show and it was spectacular! I wish I could relive those few hours (so thankful for the livestream of the concerts in Tokyo and Seoul!). Aside from his amazing performance and musical talent, what captured my attention the most is the song AMYGDALA off his new Agust D album ‘D-DAY.’ 

AMYGDALA brilliantly displayed Suga’s knowledge of how trauma and trauma responses work in the brain. To me, this is such an important concept for everyone to know, so I deeply appreciate that Suga had educated himself on this topic and translated this knowledge into art that he shares with his large following. It is important to understand the mechanisms of trauma so that people may take trauma and mental health more seriously and find solutions that help them overcome their personal issues. I am so glad Suga made this song because it will inform so many people and hopefully equip them with the knowledge they need to make the first step in their healing journey and hopefully develop a healthy relationship with their emotions.

The amygdala is a part of the brain that processes emotional responses such as anger, fear, and anxiety. It is responsible for what we commonly refer to as the “fight or flight” response. When we encounter a traumatic experience, the senses and responses we feel in that moment are stored in the amygdala, so that the brain knows how to respond to similar threats in the future. This is especially sensitive in childhood as our brains are just developing and learning how to appropriately respond to the environment. At the time of our trauma, our survival instincts may have protected us. However, oftentimes the amygdala perceives a similar threat later on in life that does not require the same drastic response. And yet, that is what our brain knows and is what it ultimately commands. 

In my case, I have trauma from my stepdad’s anger and outbursts directed towards me when I was just 5 years old and throughout my childhood. At the time, the best thing to do to ensure my survival (since my brain automatically thinks it is a life-threatening situation even if in reality it may not be) is to make myself as small and invisible as possible. Retreat into the background, do not talk back, do not defend myself, hide. As I joined the adult working world, occasionally a man in a position of authority would trigger this response (even if they were very nice and not acting in any way like my stepdad). I would freeze up, my anxiety would go through the roof, then I would end up having a panic attack and try to run away. This obviously made working in a professional setting very challenging. 

In the music video for AMYGDALA, Suga is unable to leave the small black room, which I assumed to be symbolic of the amygdala itself. While it is certainly not easy to work through our trauma, there are ways to detach the emotional responses tied to these memories and file them away with all the others in the hippocampus. When this happens, the next time we recall those times, it will be a simple memory without any emotional or physical reactions just like the others. Our brains can form new neuropathways that will help us react differently to situations that previously would have triggered the responses tied to our traumatic memories. We can train our brains to not assume a certain situation is life-threatening, thus not activating the fight or flight response, and learn to respond in healthier, calmer ways. 

Over the years, I have tried out various approaches to address my trauma this way. Beyond what I have personally tried, there are numerous ways to address trauma. I’m highlighting the few approaches that stand out to me below. First and foremost, however, it is important to seek guidance from a certified professional (doctor, therapist, etc.), who can assess your specific situation and needs and provide a tailored treatment plan for you. Highlighting the various approaches below is to inform you of the ways that trauma can be treated and serve as a starting point to finding the right fit for you. Awareness and education is only the first step. 

1. Breathwork
   • There are numerous breathing exercises and mantras you can do specifically for trauma. Breathwork helps with processing and healing trauma by calming the sympathetic nervous system when traumatic events are recalled. 
2. Yoga
   • Yoga or any mind-body exercise can also be a powerful tool, which I can confirm with my own experience. I go to a yoga school that teaches all 8 limbs of yoga, so we work to adapt to a more yogic lifestyle in all aspects of our lives, but this level of dedication isn’t necessary to feel the effects yoga can have. The simple act of coordinating your breathing with the movements keeps your mind in the present and calms your nervous system.
3. EMDR
   • A rather Western approach to trauma therapy is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which you would do with a certified therapist. In this method, your therapist will have you focus on a traumatic memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation (originally you would follow your therapist’s fingers with your eyes as they move from side to side, but there are other methods of stimulation that work well too). This stimulation while simultaneously recalling traumatic memories decreases the vividness and emotions tied to them. 
4. Hypnosis
   • In a state of hypnosis, the subconscious mind is more active and accessible. This allows the practitioner to reprogram negative reactions and behaviors with more positive ones. I personally have not tried this but I have heard many times about how this can be a great way to address trauma. 
5. Inner Child Healing
   • Healing your inner child is especially helpful for those whose trauma may stem from childhood. Your therapist will guide you through a process that starts with recalling a traumatic childhood memory along with the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations you felt at the time. Then you would mentally insert your adult self into that situation alongside your child self. You think through what that child needs in that moment and talk with your inner child, providing the comfort they needed. I personally found this to be a very powerful form of therapy for me. We automatically respond to triggers with a knee-jerk reaction that stems from the perception of a small child. When we bring our adult selves back into that moment, we see things with a more mature perspective and have the ability to heal ourselves. 
6. Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT)
   • AIT is a body-centered form of trauma therapy. It focuses on the energy centers in the body where trauma is often stored. Your therapist will help you come up with a phrase of the feeling that you want to get rid of and muscle-test the phrase to make sure it is the right one. She will then guide you through the process of removing this feeling from each of the energy centers and repeat the process until it is completely gone. Then you will introduce a positive feeling that you would like to replace this with and go through the energy centers in the opposite order. 
7. And so many more! 

There are numerous techniques available out there today. Some others I’ve heard of are Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Each therapist will have their own expertise and can suggest some to try until you find the right method for you. Along with the yoga and breathwork that I do, I personally see an AIT therapist and have done a lot of inner child work over the years. It may have been a long journey, but looking back, the improvement is immeasurable. Please look into these options! There are so many resources out there to help you overcome your trauma. Nobody needs to be trapped in that black box of the amygdala. We have an incredible ability to heal ourselves. I continue to work on healing my trauma and hope that Suga and everyone else suffering in the world find healing as well. Apobangpo!

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_{* Cover photo and images in this article are credited to Bighit Music, HYBE.}

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