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When I was younger I saw a male and my mother fighting, often. There were times that my sisters and I would intervene. There was one incident I remember quite clearly. This male was hitting my mother and she was fighting back, but it didn’t seem that her licks were affecting him at all. My oldest sister decided to help, and though she was on crutches, she limped in and began hitting him with a crutch. My middle sister and I also began to fight the man who was abusing my mother. This incident was traumatic. This, and other experiences have shaped the way I encounter different situations, the way I trust or don’t trust, and how I move in life.
Trauma can come I many different forms:
Acute trauma comes from a single incident
Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged incidences
Complex trauma is a result of being exposed to various traumatic events
Regardless of the type of trauma experienced, a person’s sense of safety, their ability to regulate emotions and navigating emotions can be impacted. Though most if not all people experience trauma, the personal impact can be different for all. The way we process trauma can be beneficial to how we progress in life.
A few tips to process trauma include:
Allow yourself time
Depending on the event, your processing time may be more than you expected. Don’t rush the process. Take as much time as YOU need.
Get it out
Journal your thoughts, feelings, and emotions or find a friend who you can just talk to about the things and feelings you are experiencing. You can’t keep it all inside, it isn’t healthy.
Acknowledge your feelings and emotions
Be honest with yourself. There is no shame in any feelings (fear, anxiety, loneliness, anger, etc.).
Understand you are not alone
Though you may feel alone, you are not. The thing about trauma is that we become experts at hiding it, so we don’t know that there are several who have experienced it as well.
Seek help
Know that there is help for you. There are professionals that are able to help you process the trauma you’ve experienced in a healthy manner.
So, you may wonder how I’ve processed my trauma. Well, I have a great support system and we have discussed this and other incidents in great detail, realizing that we were not at fault. I am also a person who journals. It is a way for me to maintain my sanity and to really think through what I feel. So, find what you need to process your life experiences in a healthy way so that you are moving forward and not remaining stagnate.
If you are ready to work through your trauma, at Mind Works Counseling Services, we are here for you. Mind Works Counseling Services in Lubbock, Texas specializes in providing guidance and help to those who are working through their trauma. We have counselors available who will help.
Learn more about the Trauma Counseling services we offer.
Contact us to schedule an appointment or to let us answer any questions you may have.