Heaviness settles deep within you; a weight never really lightens. Even the simplest events making a cup of coffee, leaving the house have an unspoken tension, as if something is always hiding just out of sight, ready to disturb the delicate peace. There is a continuous pulse of fear, a subtle panic that tightens your chest and accelerates your breathing as if preparing for something invisible. Your heart races without notice, and your mind becomes caught in an unrelenting loop of "what ifs," repeating every conceivable situation in quest of some control. Reminding you that nothing is really guaranteed, this emotion impacts every decision, every action, every breath you take. Sometimes, when silence gets too loud, your mind runs back to pictures and noises you would rather forget, but they linger in your memory like scars, not healing. No matter how hard you try to push them away, they come back at times when you least expect them and bring you back to a position of fear and powerlessness. It's a weight that can be impossible to carry but one you can't seem to put down.
In this blog, we will discuss those strong feelings and the ways in which traumatic events could leave us feeling broken. We will discuss how these events shape us and how they alter our perspective of the world and ourselves. Most significant, though, will be the journey towards healing, how to deal with it all, face the darkness, and find a road toward healing even when it seems unachievable. This is a place to honor suffering and look for one step at a time forward.
What is Trauma
Trauma is the result of events far beyond the boundaries of normal life's pressures or concerns. Although stress is inevitable in life, trauma is the result of situations that either severely impact one's physical integrity or sense of self or are life-threatening. Mental health professionals define a traumatic incident as one whereby a person encounters, observes, or is confronted with real or threatened death, major harm, or a threat to the bodily integrity of others or oneself. Most importantly, the person's reaction to such an occurrence is either horror, helplessness, or extreme fear.
Traumatic occurrences include:
Aggressive crimes include robbery, rape, or assault
Natural catastrophes like storms, floods, or earthquakes
Serious accidents, especially those involving motor cars
Combat exposure in war zones
Neglect or mistreatment in childhood
Observing murder, death, or violence
Trauma is about a person's interpretation and response to the experience as much as about its occurrence. One individual considers the event horrific, and another person exposed to the same situation might not. Defining a traumatic event depends on the subjective sensation of fear, helplessness, or terror.
How Trauma Affects Us
Trauma dramatically affects our bodies and brains, therefore determining our perspective and interaction with the world around us. Particularly in childhood, trauma changes the basic structure and function of our brains, thus influencing our capacity to control emotions, create relationships, and manage stress.
Trauma has broad consequences and can manifest in many ways:
-Hyperarousal: Trauma triggers our stress reaction system, which leaves us always vigilant. This hypervigilance can cause trouble sleeping, anger, and an intense reaction to unexpected sounds and movements.
-Emotional dysregulation: Traumatic events disrupt the brain's capacity for efficient, emotional management and processing. Mood swings, strong emotional reactions, or emotional numbness could all follow from this.
-Memory disruption: Trauma shapes the storage and recall of memories. Some horrific memories stay vivid and disruptive, while others become fragmented or difficultly accessible on a conscious level.
-Relationship difficulties: Early trauma, especially connected to attachment, might hinder our capacity to create and preserve good relationships. Commonly occurring are trust problems and fear of intimacy.
-Cognitive impairments: Trauma may affect your ability to concentrate, make decisions, and solve problems. It meddles with the growth and integration of brain areas in charge of these higher-order abilities.
-Physical health problems: Trauma-related chronic stress wears on the body and can lead to a range of health issues including an impaired immune system and increased risk of several diseases.
-Identity and self-esteem issues: Trauma may drastically change our view of ourselves and our role in the world, therefore influencing poor self-perception and low self-worth.
10 Strategies Towards Healing
Trauma heals gradually, requiring time, encouragement, and a multifaceted approach. Here are some important strategies that people may use to begin their journey toward wellness and recovery:
1- Trauma-Informed Care: Seek medical professionals using trauma-informed care. These experts know how trauma affects health. Hence, they customize their approach to provide a secure, empowered atmosphere for healing.
2- Stabilization and Safety: Create daily safety in your life, encompassing both psychological stability and physical security. Learn to control stress and strong emotions.
3- Mindfulness and Body Awareness: Employ mindfulness strategies to remain rooted in the present moment. This can assist in easing past or future-related worries. Emphasize using body-centered techniques, yoga, or gentle activities to help you to reconnect with yourself.
4- Addressing Fragmented Parts: Acknowledge that trauma could cause a fragmented sense of self. Work on identifying and integrating different "parts" of yourself that developed to cope with trauma.
5- Building Supportive Relationships: Work on establishing a solid connection with reliable people. Healing needs social support greatly. Think about attending support groups where you could meet people having such experiences.
6- Narrative Reconstruction: Engage in activities meant to help you rewrite your story. This technique allows you to create a more empowering life narrative and meaning of your events.
7- Holistic Health Approach: Adress your general health, including sleep, diet, and exercise. Trauma affects the whole person, so recovery should address all aspects of well-being
8- Creative Expression: Explore art, music, writing, or other creative activities as a means of processing difficulty to express feelings and experiences.
9- Gradual Exposure: Safely and under control, gradually face traumatic memories. Facing memories can help, over time, lower their emotional effect.
10- Self-Compassion: Develop patience and self-compassion. Healing takes time; setbacks are natural. Treat yourself with compassion you would show a friend on a similar road.
Healing is not straightforward; thus, what works best will differ depending on the person. One should create a personalized strategy that fits your requirements and experiences.
Compass Coaching Approach
Trauma heals gradually, requiring time, compassion, and encouragement. Those strong feelings, the memories that won't disappear, and the unrelenting anxiety could seem impossible to overcome. However, acknowledging this suffering is only the first step toward healing. Trauma may influence any aspect of our life, including our body, thoughts, and relationships, but healing is possible. It's about wanting to face the darkness and one step at a time learning how to move ahead. At Compass Coaching, we are here to support you on your road towards healing as we know the great influence trauma can have. We understand that each person's journey is unique. To help you explore your feelings, grasp your difficulties, and start creating a customized recovery strategy, we provide a 30-minute complimentary session. To book your session, click here.
We would also really love to hear from you! Which techniques have worked for you, or what are some of your experiences with healing? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.
References
Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the fragmented selves of trauma survivors: Overcoming internal self-alienation. Routledge.
Machtinger, E. L., Cuca, Y. P., Khanna, N., Rose, C. D., & Kimberg, L. S. . (2015). From treatment to healing: the promise of trauma-informed primary care. Women's Health Issues, 25(3), 193-197.
Marusak, H. A. (2015). Childhood trauma exposure disrupts the automatic regulation of emotional processing. Neuropsychopharmacology, 40(5), 1250-1258.
Resick, P. A. (2014). Stress and trauma. Psychology Press.
Stien, P., & Kendall, J. C. . (2014). Psychological trauma and the developing brain: Neurologically based interventions for troubled children. Routledge.
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