The idea of titration as it pertains to trauma comes from Peter Levine’s In An Unspoken Voice. As Levine explains in his book, when we add a huge quantity of neutralising base to a strong acid, we end up with an explosive reaction. Conversely, if we add the base to the acid in tiny amounts we can eventually neutralise the acid without an excessive reaction.
This idea can be related to trauma. Deep trauma leaves the body frozen. The energy locked into that frozen state is often explosive and enormously difficult to deal with. When we force awareness into the totality of what is buried, we might become entirely overwhelmed.
Coming from deep trauma myself, this is something that I’ve experienced. It took me a while to realise that it is better to move slowly when it comes to trauma. We want to dip into the frozen survival state without becoming overwhelmed. We want to dissolve the tightness and immobility incrementally.
I’m summarising a large section in the book. Readers who are interested should refer back to the original source.
Nevertheless, it is an important idea to keep in mind: when dealing with trauma move slowly. Work responsibly: Dip into the tiniest amount of repressed trauma and then come back for air. As you become more familiar with the associated feelings—feelings that are truly hard to face—you gain strength. This is how we can dissolve trauma over time.