For victims of crime, recounting their trauma to investigators, police, attorneys, advocates, and in court is often a necessary part of seeking justice and healing emotional wounds. However, the process of telling their story, known as a trauma narrative, is often triggering, overwhelming and re-traumatizing.
The Science Behind Re-Traumatization
Research published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and PubMed reveals that approximately 70% of patients relive their traumatic experiences and show an increase in heart rate when recalling traumatic memories. 30% of those recalling the traumatic memory showed signs of dissociation. Dissociation can include difficulty tracking a conversation, limited awareness of time, place, feelings or memories. This original study was done in 2001.
Even earlier, in 1995, Daniel Goleman, PhD, coined the term amygdala hijack. This is when someone’s response is immediate and a rational response is shut down because the thinking part of the brain has become temporarily disabled to deal with the immediate threat, real or perceived. What this means is that someone who is highly triggered or in shock, will struggle to accurately recall and tell what happened to them because the thinking part of the brain is not functioning the same as it would under normal circumstances.
While there have been advances to implement trauma informed protocols, such as offering delayed interviewing, meaning being interviewed 48-72 hours after the traumatic event, people are still reliving their experiences when interviewed. As a trauma therapist of over 28 years, I can attest to the importance of providing a real time nervous system regulation resource to support victims of trauma, at every stage in the process of healing, thereby reducing the additional re-traumatization that is inadvertently occurring.
How Bi-Tapp Can Help Victims of Crime
Bi-Tapp is a patented wearable device that performs bilateral tapping, providing real-time nervous system regulation. One of the main advantages of Bi-Tapp is that victims don’t need to actively do anything. A person would simply hold or wear the tappers. The bilateral tapping “automatically” inhibits the amygdala, which helps reduce sympathetic activation. The thinking part of the brain is then able to stay online and provide a much more coherent narrative than if they remain in high levels of distress being caused by remembering the trauma.
Providing Witness Statements
When victims of crime need to write out or recall what happened to them, the stress and anxiety this creates, can be overwhelming and for some, very triggering and upsetting. By providing victims the option to hold or wear the tappers while recounting their trauma narratives, their nervous system will be more regulated. This allows them to stay calmer and more focused, making it easier to recall and share their experiences accurately. Detective Bleak shares how he used the tappers during the witness interviews for the Enoch, UT tragedy. Being able to give a complete witness statement one time rather than having to be repeatedly interviewed is critical.
Testifying in Court
Testifying in court can be a highly stressful experience for victims. The presence of the perpetrator, the formal setting, and the pressure of recounting traumatic events can all trigger severe anxiety. Bi-Tapp helps victims remain calmer and more composed while providing their testimony. By holding or wearing the tappers, they can maintain a regulated nervous system, allowing them to articulate their experiences clearly and accurately without being so overwhelmed by stress or fear.
A Victim Services Program Manager stated: “There have been multiple instances where victims have utilized the tappers to calm themselves during stressful situations. One that stands out is when a victim had to see their perpetrator in court. After being handed the tappers, the victim was physically calmer and less anxious. The tappers were amazing at helping her manage her anxiety.”
MaryAnn used the tappers after a experiencing a tragedy of losing her best friend in a domestic violence tragedy. She also used the tappers to testify in court.
In Therapy
Bi-Tapp is used both as a calming resource and as part of trauma-informed therapies. Clients can hold or wear the tappers during in-office or remote sessions to stay regulated while discussing or reprocessing traumatic events.
Completing Stressful Tasks
When completing tasks that might trigger trauma responses—such as filling out paperwork for protective orders—clients can wear the tappers to manage their sympathetic activation. This enables them to focus on the task at hand without becoming overwhelmed by stress or traumatic memories.
Testimonial from a Domestic Violence Advocate: “I have a client for whom, when she first came in, it was almost impossible for her to speak with us about what happened to her. We used Bi-Tapp with her, and she was able to talk with us about what had happened and have a conversation. Every appointment since then, she has used the tappers, and we’ve progressed much farther than we might have without them. This client was unable to leave her residence due to crippling nervousness before we gave her a pair of Bi-Tapp tappers, but now she’s able to go to the grocery store, take her son out and go on walks. These devices have drastically changed the way she is able to interact with the world and other people.”
Improving Sleep
Traumatic events often disrupt sleep patterns. Bilateral tapping helps reduce sympathetic activation, which is often heightened at night. Hold or wear the tappers before you go to bed or as you fall asleep (or both). If you wake up in the middle of the night, turn them back on to help you go back to sleep. Adjust the tapping settings to slower, lighter intensities to aid in falling asleep and staying asleep.
Bi-Tapp is Approved and Paid For by UOVC
Bi-Tapp is now an approved resource for clients with a claim number through the Utah Office for Victims of Crime (UOVC). This approval allows victims to access Bi-Tapp devices to help them manage the stress and anxiety as they work to recover from the effects of the trauma. You can use the tappers as often as needed to help your nervous system recover from times when you feel overwhelmed, anxious or triggered.
How to Obtain Bi-Tapp Approval
- For Victims: Clients need to call their UOVC caseworker directly.
- For Therapists: Contact Amy Armstrong, UOVC Provider Liaison
- Direct Line: (801) 238-2377
- Main number: 801-238-2360
- Email: aarmstrong@utah.gov
Helping Victims of Crime Move Forward
It has been almost 30 years since Dr. Goleman termed the coined the term, “amygdala hijack”. It has been over 20 years since brain activity was tracked when people share their trauma narratives and found that 70% of people begin to shift to hyperarousal and the other 30% drop to a more dissociated state. With all the advancements in understanding how our brain works when it is stressed, triggered or traumatized, it’s time that we offer victims of trauma the kind of support that research shows they need and deserve.
Bi-Tapp is revolutionizing the way victims give their trauma narratives by providing a noninvasive, effective method to regulate the nervous system. By incorporating bilateral stimulation, Bi-Tapp helps inhibit the amygdala, allowing victims to share their stories without being re-traumatized. For more information on how Bi-Tapp can benefit you or those you work with, contact us at 435-688-9047.
Additional Reading
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