Healing From Trauma Is Possible, Here’s How to Begin
Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself and the world. Even if it doesn’t feel like it today, healing from trauma is possible. If you’ve been suffering from the aftereffects of trauma, there is hope in the healing journey.
What is trauma?
Trauma is a psychological and emotional response to a distressing event (or series of events). These traumatic experiences are often perceived as life-threatening or severely threatening to a person’s health or psychology. Trauma can be caused by a wide range of experiences, including but not limited to:
Physical trauma, such as assault, accidents, or injuries
Emotional trauma after the death of a loved one, abandonment by a caregiver, or relationship betrayal
Sexual trauma, such as assault, abuse, or harassment
Witnessing violence
Living in a war zone
Living through a natural disaster
Childhood neglect or an unstable home environment
Trauma can have profound and long-lasting effects on a person’s emotional and physical well-being. Common symptoms of trauma include intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and changes in sleep or appetite.
Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop trauma-related symptoms or a diagnosable trauma disorder. However, for those who do, it’s important to seek treatment. Here are a few steps to begin healing from trauma.
Acknowledge what you went through
Trauma often brings along feelings of shame, guilt, and secrecy. You might not even want to admit to yourself what has happened or how you’re reacting to it. But acknowledging the trauma is an important first step. Accept what has happened to you and that you’re committed to healing and moving forward.
Connect with others
You might feel better knowing other people have gone through similar traumas. By talking to someone in the same boat as you (or is further along in the healing process), you can envision how you’ll heal from this trauma. Look for support groups or online communities of people who have gone through the same traumatic events you have.
Find meaning in life
Finding ways to connect with yourself and others will give your healing journey more purpose. Look to your friends and family for support and meaning. Pour yourself into your hobby or try something new. Turn your pain into an avenue for creativity and find ways to express yourself, whether it’s through art, music, or journaling. By making meaning, you’ll get your mind and body moving instead of ruminating.
Celebrate progress
Healing from trauma is a journey with ups and downs, so it’s important to celebrate your progress along the way. Acknowledge the steps you’ve taken, no matter how small, and recognize the resilience and strength it takes to confront your trauma.
Talk to a therapist
No one should suffer from trauma alone. There are many therapeutic approaches to addressing trauma, including:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most widely used and available psychotherapies. It helps people identify and challenge distorted beliefs related to their traumatic event(s) and develop healthier coping strategies.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
This therapy was designed to help people process trauma and reduce symptoms. During EMDR sessions, the client recalls a target memory while also focusing on external bilateral (side-to-side) stimuli, such as hand movements or sounds, which facilitate the processing and integration of traumatic memories.
To find out more about how to begin a healing journey, please reach out to us to learn more about trauma therapy. No matter when your trauma happened or what occurred, we can help you move forward and find new meaning in life.
