{"id":136903,"date":"2024-11-28T14:31:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-28T18:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=136903"},"modified":"2024-12-03T18:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T22:15:29","slug":"how-trauma-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/","title":{"rendered":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What happens in your body when you experience trauma? Why do humans get stuck in trauma while animals naturally recover?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Waking the Tiger<\/em>, trauma expert Peter Levine explores how trauma works<\/a> in both humans and animals. He reveals the biological mechanisms behind trauma and explains why our natural healing process often gets disrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to discover what trauma is<\/a> and learn why your body’s stress response<\/a> might be keeping you stuck in a cycle of anxiety<\/a> and fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Trauma Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Levine, trauma is a chronic disorder that someone develops after experiencing a deeply distressing event.<\/strong> He emphasizes that trauma isn\u2019t just a psychological disorder; it\u2019s a condition that affects a person\u2019s entire being\u2014body and mind. Trauma can cause many wide-ranging symptoms, including flashbacks, anxiety, depression, physical ailments, and behavioral issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Levine contends that trauma is far more common than most people realize\u2014he asserts that everyone<\/em> has been traumatized to some degree.<\/strong> One reason for this is that major traumatic events are common. War, natural disasters, and physical and sexual abuse are frequent occurrences around the world, and they often cause major trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PTSD and C-PTSD<\/strong>

Just as psychologists make distinctions between these two types of trauma (shock and developmental), they also distinguish between two types of resulting mental health disorders: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).<\/a> Generally, shock trauma leads to PTSD while developmental trauma leads to C-PTSD. C-PTSD typically has many of the same symptoms as PTSD, such as persistent anxiety, hyperalertness, and intrusive flashbacks. On top of this, C-PTSD involves symptoms like reduced emotional control, challenges in building relationships, and a self-identity built around severe guilt and shame.

C-PTSD treatment typically includes interventions that specifically address these additional, unique symptoms<\/a>\u2014for example, patients build a trusting relationship with a therapist who shows them that it\u2019s possible to rely on others. This may explain why Levine recommends working with a professional to resolve developmental trauma.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another reason trauma symptoms<\/a> are so common is that seemingly minor threats can cause major trauma if they happen to someone who\u2019s particularly vulnerable.<\/strong> People who are less capable of protecting themselves, have weaker physical health, or believe themselves to be helpless are easily traumatized. For instance, a child may be traumatized by the minor scare of getting lost at a shopping mall if they\u2019re very young, malnourished, or feel helpless<\/a> because they were raised by abusive parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrauma\u201d With a Lowercase \u201ct\u201d<\/strong>

Minor threats can cause lasting psychological and physiological trauma symptoms even in people who aren\u2019t unusually vulnerable, supporting Levine\u2019s claim that everybody is traumatized to some degree. Mundane distressing experiences like arguments with loved ones, career setbacks, or financial burdens can trigger a trauma response<\/a>\u2014especially if too many happen in quick succession, overwhelming your ability to emotionally cope. For example, someone who loses their job and gets divorced in the same month may develop high blood pressure, paranoia, and feelings of helplessness.

Some refer to these symptoms as \u201ctrauma\u201d with a lowercase \u201ct\u201d (as opposed to \u201cTrauma\u201d caused by major threats like wars, natural disasters, and sexual or physical abuse). However, labeling<\/a> it as a \u201clesser\u201d type of trauma may lead individuals to minimize or ignore their traumatic experiences<\/a>. Arguably, this can exacerbate their suffering and delay recovery by discouraging them from seeking help or validation for their experiences.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How People Become Traumatized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Levine argues that trauma isn\u2019t the result of irreversible damage to any part of a person\u2019s body or mind. Rather, a person suffers from chronic trauma symptoms because their body hasn\u2019t completed its physiological stress response to the original traumatic event<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Levine explains that, when threatened, animals (and humans) generate a burst of stress energy and instinctively choose from three possible responses: fight, flight, or freeze. The freeze response\u2014the most relevant to human trauma\u2014serves as a last-ditch survival mechanism<\/strong>, allowing prey animals to play dead and potentially escape when a predator’s guard is down. It also induces a dissociative state where pain is not experienced, sparing the animal from needless suffering as it\u2019s being eaten. This frozen yet high-stress state is temporary\u2014animals naturally unload excess stress energy after a threatening event, often shaking or trembling to get it out of their system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans Interfere With Their \u201cFreeze\u201d Response<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to Levine, humans (like animals) enter a \u201cfreeze\u201d state in response to highly stressful events. However, unlike animals, humans resist and suppress their natural stress recovery response. The process of exiting the freeze response and releasing trapped energy typically involves intense physical sensations, including trembling, shaking, and sweating. These sensations are often frightening or uncomfortable, so people attempt to suppress them. Humans\u2019 highly developed neocortex allows them to do so, shutting down the stress recovery response<\/strong> (which occurs in more primitive parts of the brain) before it reaches its natural conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Levine explains that, when humans suppress their stress response, a vicious cycle begins: They become frozen in this trauma-response state, leaving them trapped in a state of constant stress.<\/strong> The persistent feelings of anxiety and fear that accompany this state further drive them to suppress their stress response. Over time, this stress energy continues to build, manifesting as trauma symptoms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What happens in your body when you experience trauma? Why do humans get stuck in trauma while animals naturally recover? In Waking the Tiger, trauma expert Peter Levine explores how trauma works in both humans and animals. He reveals the biological mechanisms behind trauma and explains why our natural healing process often gets disrupted. Keep reading to discover what trauma is and learn why your body’s stress response might be keeping you stuck in a cycle of anxiety and fear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":136912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160],"tags":[1682],"class_list":["post-136903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","tag-waking-the-tiger","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1344\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elizabeth Whitworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\"},\"headline\":\"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\"},\"wordCount\":907,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Waking the Tiger\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Psychology\",\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\",\"name\":\"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg\",\"width\":1344,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"A man sitting on a bed with his head in his hands illustrates how trauma works\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13\",\"name\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Elizabeth Whitworth\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.\",\"sameAs\":[\"rina@shortform.com\"],\"award\":[\"Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)\",\"Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)\",\"Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)\",\"Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"History\",\"Theology\",\"Government\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder - Shortform Books","description":"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder","og_description":"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1344,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elizabeth Whitworth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elizabeth Whitworth","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/"},"author":{"name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13"},"headline":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder","datePublished":"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/"},"wordCount":907,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","keywords":["Waking the Tiger"],"articleSection":["Psychology","Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/","name":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","datePublished":"2024-11-28T18:31:10+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-03T22:15:29+00:00","description":"Peter Levine explains how trauma works, providing a clear definition and using biology to explain how people get traumatized. Take a look.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","width":1344,"height":768,"caption":"A man sitting on a bed with his head in his hands illustrates how trauma works"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-trauma-works\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Trauma Works: Peter Levine Explains the Disorder"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2928cf6c11a69ced1491d6a5b74fb13","name":"Elizabeth Whitworth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1fff9d65a52ac4340660218e7b63ee5e365cf08e7aa7adff79a0142cd4b96f84?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Elizabeth Whitworth"},"description":"Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books\u2014and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.","sameAs":["rina@shortform.com"],"award":["Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI)","Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA)","Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA)","Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)"],"knowsAbout":["History","Theology","Government"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/elizabeth\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/man-with-head-in-hands-sitting-on-bed.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136903"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136911,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136903\/revisions\/136911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}