‘Trauma’ – the word itself is enough to scare anyone. People experience all sorts of negative feelings when they hear, read, or say this word. But most often, they become afraid thinking about the people who have ever encountered trauma in their lives. Every person hopes that they and their loved ones never face any trauma.
However, the general mindset of people cannot be further from the reality of today’s modern world. Technology may have advanced a lot, but these advancements bring with them various negative consequences. One such consequence is that people have gone far from themselves. They might be available for their friends 24/7 on social media, but they are not available for themselves.
This is the biggest obstacle in the way of healing for trauma. You can heal yourself from a problem only when you are aware of its existence. The majority of the people have become so disconnected from themselves that they fail to realize for a long period of time that they are suffering from trauma. Those who realize it feel ashamed of talking about their issues with others.
On top of it, people’s mindset makes everything difficult for sufferers. People believe that trauma is not something that can happen to everyone. They treat it as some distant reality and foreign subject that cannot affect them or their near and dear ones.
But the fact that a large quantity of material is available regarding the healing for trauma in both offline and online modes proves that trauma is more common than you can think. Almost everyone you might be meeting in your social and professional circles could be a trauma sufferer or a trauma survivor.
How to Start Healing for Trauma?
Trauma needs to be healed so that you can live your life happily and enthusiastically. We have listed down some simple steps that you can take to start your healing journey. But before discussing them, let’s understand the meaning and effects of trauma.
When certain unpleasant events take place in your life, you become traumatized. You go through trauma, which affects your life badly. These unpleasant or traumatic events include but are not limited to the death of a loved one, breakup from a romantic partner, accident, physical abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, loss of an income source, loss of health, and a natural disaster.
In order to begin the process of healing for trauma, you first need to recognize the several effects that happen because of a traumatic event. These effects are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, anger, grief, irritability, shame, substance abuse, and so on. Once you realize that you are a trauma sufferer, you should take the steps mentioned below.
- Show Willingness to Heal
- Open Up to Family and Friends
- Take Professional Help
- Keep a Note of Your Feelings
- Practice Meditation Regularly
- Perform Physical Activities
- Take Up a Hobby or Interest
Others can help you only when you help yourself. If you want to carry out your healing journey, you need to show a willingness to heal from your past traumas. A large number of people commit the mistake of ignoring the inner voices that tell them to heal themselves. Some people feel embarrassed to discuss their traumatic experiences and their impact on their lives. You should let go of these feelings and fully accept the fact that you need healing.
People often believe that they will lose their social status if they disclose that they are suffering from trauma. The process of healing for trauma can become smooth with the involvement of your loved ones. It’s a common response to isolate yourself by avoiding communicating with others when you are dealing with trauma. But you need your family members and friends the most during these hard times. You should open up to them about your feelings and experiences.
While your near and dear ones can listen to your story, professionals like therapists and psychologists can guide you in healing for trauma after listening to your story. They can conduct treatment sessions with you so that you can make a fresh beginning. Professionals can utilize suitable treatment methods and techniques based on the problems that you might be facing. They can help you obtain relief from psychological pain and negative thoughts.
As we have mentioned earlier, people who have gone through traumatic events find it difficult to accept the same. They might be living a normal life like many others, for example, having a family, working a job, and spending time with children. But deep within, they struggle with emotions that are painful. The best way to face your emotions is to note them down. Instead of suppressing your feelings, accept them and write them down in a physical or an online journal.
Irrespective of the reason behind your trauma, your journey of healing for trauma is impossible without finding inner peace and calm. You need to live in the moment and show gratitude for every positive aspect of your life so that you can let go of your bad memories. Meditation is a great tool to help you achieve this. When you meditate, you switch off from the daily hustles of life and look within yourself. It makes you feel relaxed, humble, and compassionate.
Body movements not only burn calories but also uplift your mood. If you have ever noticed, sitting for long hours can make you feel dull. On the other hand, if you keep performing physical activities, you feel energetic and lively. The frequent body movements make you feel that life is moving forward. Thus, you start feeling passionate about life and the many surprises that it holds for you. You can do exercise, yoga, walking, swimming, jogging, and even bike riding.
When you want to get healing for trauma, you should engage yourself in activities that make you happy. Trauma fills your mind and heart with clutter and sadness, respectively. If you want to get rid of this clutter and sadness, you should put your mind and heart into endeavors that you like. Contrary to the general perspective of people that following hobbies and interests is possible only until a certain age, you can take up a hobby or interest at any age.
Along with implementing the tips mentioned above, you should also use some other tips that you find beneficial. During the journey of healing for trauma, you might feel quite low at times. But you need to remember that healing and recovery is a gradual process. So, you should remain patient and persevering.
Conclusion
Just like eating junk food is a strict no during the weight loss journey, resorting to substance abuse is a strict no during the healing for trauma journey. You might be tempted to consume alcohol and drugs when you feel stuck, but you should avoid this temptation at all costs. When you feel extremely anxious, sad, nervous, or overwhelmed, talk to someone you love and trust. Even a few minutes of conversation can uplift your spirit.
