If you experienced trauma, try this
It can be a long journey, but it’s worthwhile
In our day and age, trauma became a very common experience. While at the same time as a society we don’t tend to welcome it, nor support its integration and healing. Trauma can be a very lonely experience, and I hope these lines can help.
I suspect that most humans have had some degree of trauma in their lives. We can have big T trauma, or small t trauma, and they generate different levels of consequences and adaptations, but as a general rule, all trauma generates suffering. By dealing with trauma, we won’t be able to change what happened, but we can definitely do something about its consequences.
According to Bessel van der Kolk, trauma is not just an event that happens to you, but rather an experience that overwhelms the nervous system and disrupts your sense of safety and security. Trauma can manifest in emotional, psychological, physical, and mental forms, and other more nuanced expressions. It can have long-lasting effects on your mental and physical health, and directly affect your relationships.
Some things you can do if you’re experiencing trauma:
Seek professional help: Trauma is usually complex, and often requires specialized care. A psychotherapist can help you identify and process your traumatic experiences.
Practice self-care: Engage in activities that promote relaxation and reduce stress, such as exercise, meditation, or yoga. Trauma can also make you feel like self-care is not a priority. You can start by giving yourself extra reminders of its importance, until it becomes natural.
Connect with nature: Nature helps to balance your nervous-system, it brings more oxygen to your system, and helps release extra cortisol in your body. It calms the mind organically and helps you feel grounded and present.
Connect with others: Talking with friends or family members, joining a support group, or being part of a community can help you feel less isolated and more supported. This can feel somewhat triggering if you’re experiencing trauma. Look for options to connect with others that feel safe and nourishing. You can even connect with a character you like, or an image of a deity you feel is protective, and have them as allies. Keep reassessing to see if you feel like joining a friend or a group.
Express yourself creatively: Art, music, dancing, collage, writing, and all other art forms can be powerful tools for processing and expressing emotions related to trauma.
Practice grounding techniques: Grounding techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, restorative and yin yoga, chi kung, or visualization, can help you feel more present and connected to your body.
Try Somatic Experiencing, or other somatic practices such as Body Mind Centering, somatic yoga, Continuum Movement, etc: Peter Levine describes trauma as a response to an overwhelming event or situation that gets stuck in the body's nervous system. Therefore, trauma can be processed by releasing the stuck energy through physical movements and attention to physical sensations.
Consider other trauma-focused therapies: Neurofeedback; or EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Explore spirituality: Connecting with our spiritual side can be very supportive when integrating our trauma experiences. You can reposition yourself in relation to the trauma, and gain a more expanded sense of Self.
The journey with trauma can be a long one. It’s probably also lonely at times. And scary. However, it’s a worthy effort. On this journey you get to meet yourself anew, and give steps towards being fully present in your life again. Stay compassionate with yourself along the path. Keep your intention at heart and continue to take one step at a time. I know how hard it can be. But if you are aware of trauma, and you know you want to feel better, then you’re already on the journey, and those first steps were very important ones. Keep going.
If you’ve experienced trauma and want to start your psychotherapy journey to integrate it, you can schedule a session with me here.
It will be an honour to walk a part of the path with you.
