OVERCOMING TRAUMA.

Imagine being a child and going through any of the following:

Ridden in a car that was out of control.

A gun pointed at you.

A dog bite.

Stabbed or cut with a knife.

Held down against your will.

Tied up against your will.

A near-death experience (lifeguard, car accidents).

Natural disasters (fire, floods).

Negative doctor experience (shots, surgery).

Falling down and getting hurt.

Locked in a closet, room, or other small enclosed space.

Choking on food or anything else when you thought you were going to die.

Accidents involving water such as drowning, boating accidents, near-drowning, etc.

We’ve all heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. It’s that feeling you have when you’re in the supermarket, going about your day, and then you bump into someone and they yell at you. You instantly feel a jolt of adrenaline, your heart starts racing and you go on high alert. Most people experience a lot of trauma without even realizing it. Someone insults them or talks down to them, they might get fired from their job unexpectedly, they might not make the final cut for an audition they really wanted — all of these can be traumatic events even though they aren't life-threatening. Emotional trauma can have devastating and lasting effects on our mental and physical health. Whether other people have caused it, or we have done the damage to ourselves, our stories will always remain with us, manifesting as aches and pains, behavior that doesn’t serve us, and dis-ease in our body.

Trauma is a physical and emotional wound that leaves deep scars. It can be the result of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse; accidents; natural disasters; bullying; and many other negative situations. Traumatic events are extremely stressful and shatter your sense of security.

Trauma changes your brain chemistry, causing you to react differently to external events and creating internal turmoil that causes you to relive the negative experiences over and over again. All of this can lead to serious health problems like depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

Trauma is the highest expression of the power of your subconscious mind, over your body and behavior. If you desire to heal and recover from emotional trauma, then you need to start finding out why these traumas in the first place happened. There is no point in suppressing or avoiding your emotions because they will bury themselves deep within you, and come out with a vengeance at a future date.

The next step in overcoming trauma is to accept it happened. Acceptance doesn't mean you have to like what happened or even approve of it. But you need to accept that it did happen and begin the process of healing.

You can't heal trauma if you're in denial about it, or constantly trying to forget about it or ignore the pain. You may want to try those things, but they don't work in the long term.

Once you've accepted that the traumatic event occurred, then it's time to start taking responsibility for your healing.

The first part of this is acknowledging that there are other people involved in your healing journey with you. And that's not a bad thing!

This is where many people get stuck because they feel like trauma recovery is a solo endeavor. But if we make our own lives an island, then we'll never be able to heal properly!

While it’s not always possible to make the pain go away, there are steps you can take to cope with the pain and begin to heal — such as finding a support network.

Even if you feel like you’re alone and can’t find anyone who understands what you’ve been through, remember that there are others who have suffered similar experiences.

For example, if you were abused as a child, seek out other adults who were abused as children. They will understand what you’re going through in a way that other people can’t.

Some people may choose to see a therapist or counselor who will help them work through their issues. Others will find it helpful to join a self-help group or support group where they can share their stories with others who are also trying to cope with trauma.

In order for your healing process to be effective, it’s important for your emotions to be acknowledged, validated, and respected by yourself and others. With each emotion you allow yourself to feel, you’re moving towards more awareness, acceptance, and balance. And in the end, these might be the most important steps towards healing your trauma—and becoming the survivor you were meant to be.