Are you feeling trapped? Can’t get out of your past? Don’t worry! Life’s not always butterflies and rainbows. It’s sometimes hills and valleys. Nobody enjoys going through the storms and rough patches in life, but you surely come across some. It’s never easy. Life gets hard but always remember, the storm eventually passes away. So, stop running away. Give yourself a moment. Face your fears. Deal with your traumas. Because these darkest storms and painful bits of your life are the toughest, but once the storms pass and the big black clouds clear out, it’s all positive and better.
Death of your loved ones, job losses, family dramas, breakups, traumatic childhood… you name it. We’re all going through something or have been through something that has impacted our lives to a great extent. A life without problems just doesn’t exist. But hey, let’s not get knocked down. We can all get through it. Think of your deepest regret, the darkest moment of your life where you were at such a low point that you almost gave up, and that past trauma still haunts you. How has it been? Did you learn anything? How did it shape you as the person you are today? Or are you still being haunted? It always comes down to how you choose to live after your failure, the path you select for yourself. It matters. So, dig deep and give yourself a flashback of your struggles, agonies, and mistakes. Face it. These situations and moments of your life will either destroy you or change you. What do you choose? You are capable of more than you think.
Today, we dedicate our blog to all those out there who are going through anxiety, heart-breaks, criticism, stress, mental and emotional strain, pressures, and emotional breakdowns that have brought them here at this worst phase of life. There’s a famous phrase that says ships don’t sink because of the water around them; they sink because of the water that gets in them. What does this tell you? Don’t let the things happening around you make a home inside you and weigh you down! Now you might be wondering that’s okay, true, but how do I deal with my traumas? Trust yourself, know your worth, and just remember who you are. It’ll change the game.
Understand the Real Meaning of Trauma
In ancient Greek, the word trauma translates into wound. It’s an emotional response to a deeply saddening, disturbing, and terrible event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope up with reality, causes feelings of helplessness, and causes an everlasting impact on one’s emotional and mental stability. A few of the many events that can lead to trauma include family violence, rape, death of a loved one, physical abuse, witnessing an act of extreme violence, kidnapping, isolation, natural disaster, or an accident.
Some Symptoms of Dealing with Trauma
There are many different signs to recognize who’s struggling to deal with trauma, and some could of them include:
- Insomnia
- Lack of concentration
- Flashbacks
- Unpredictable emotions
- Self-doubt
- Anxiety
- Panic
- Development of mental disorders
- Isolation
At extreme, traumas can even cause or threaten to cause serious injuries or death. If left unchecked, trauma can have a long-lasting physiological and psychological impact on one’s life.
Trauma in COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic broke, trauma is all over the news worldwide. Children and adults are enduring emotional distress and fear in this crisis leading to traumatic experiences. Research shows that healthcare workers are also experiencing elevated levels of trauma because of this crisis. It’s the right time to begin your journey to physical and mental recovery as it affects your capacity to move freely through life. The truth is that trauma would not hold you back from living your life if you deal with it the right way.
Ways to deal with Trauma- How to Cope Up?
With these self-help strategies, and ways to feel better, you’ll feel yourself and can speed up your road to recovery from trauma. It takes time, for sure, but don’t lose hope. When bad things happen, it can take a while to get over the pain, but you soon feel safe again.
Allow Yourself to Feel
Please don’t ignore your feelings. Let it come to you. Face what you are afraid of, and don’t try to avoid it. Running away never helps. It’s just a temporary escape. Accepting your feelings and not bottling up your feelings; It’s an integral part of your recovery. Realize that there’s no right or wrong in feelings, and it is totally okay to give a normal response to abnormal experiences. It’s essential to remind yourself that what you are going through is challenging, but self-validation is an important part of your healing process.
Take Care of Your Health
Having a healthy life and a healthy body increases your ability to cope with the stress of trauma. Get plenty of sleep, and eat a well-balanced diet throughout the day to give yourself a boost and keep your energy up. Another great way to feel stress-free is to exercise or meditate. Relaxation techniques like yoga and breathing exercises have proven to bring you joy and happiness. So, schedule a time, stretch your legs, or go play your favorite sport.
Create a Safe Space
Ask yourself where you feel the safest? Is it a real place, maybe a rooftop, a room with happy photos, warm blankets, scented candles, or things that comfort you, or someone close to you, or is it an imaginary place in your mind where you imagine things that make you feel safe? Whatever that place is, it must be easily accessible for you. Whenever you feel like trauma is getting over you, and you’re getting anxiety panic attacks, try reaching out to your safe space, and you’ll be soon normal.
Listen To Your Body- Self Care
Self-care sounds so life-giving and healing, but why don’t we try it? Trauma is complicated and for those who’ve survived childhood trauma, listening to being worthless and shameful, and being blamed for things worsens your mental condition. All you need is mental peace and a good healthy, happy body to cope with your feelings. You can easily do this by getting yourself body skincare and wellness products such as body butter and bath bombs. CBD products can help you achieve a level of calm and peacefulness that you might be able to get on your own. Another way to use CBD is through CBD Massage, which can release your stress and give you extra relief.
Don’t Isolate Yourself
Withdrawing and detaching yourself from others only makes things worse. If you don’t feel like talking about your trauma, that’s fine. Connecting with others doesn’t necessarily need to involve a conversation about trauma, but in fact, the comfort and social acceptance that comes from others would make you feel better again. If you want to share, ask for support, reconnect with old friends, or take part in social activities, or volunteer in events. Volunteering is a great way to challenge the sense of helplessness that one feels while suffering through trauma.
Think Positive
According to neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hanson, it only takes an individual 12 seconds to create new neuron connections. This means if you focus and think positively for only 12 seconds, notice the impact of it on your body and emotions, you might develop the ability to replace feelings of stress and fear with something more positive. Breathe in fresh air from your window, close your eyes and think about the best moments of your life, what you aim and want from your life, and your closest people. It helps.
Join a Support Group
Another great way to overcome trauma is to talk about it with others who’ve had a similar experience or are still going through it. Not only do these groups lift you up, but they also provide individuals tips and techniques to deal with what’s happening. Due to COVID-19, now there are numerous virtual support groups online and as well as local.
Suggestion: Put Major Life Decisions on Hold
Don’t make any major life changes that you may regret later. Being in a trauma might affect your judgment and might not be the best choice you make, so if it’s utterly needed, take advice from people you trust.
Professional Help and Treatments
If nothing helps, consult a professional trauma specialist. They use various approaches as a treatment to rebuild your mental ability to trust other people and overcome your negative past. When to seek help? How to know? If you’re:
- Having trouble at home or work
- Suffering from anxiety and depression
- Experiencing nightmares and flashbacks
- Emotionally numb and detached
- Using alcohol and drugs to feel lighter
- Unable to develop relationships
- Experiencing terrifying memories
If you have most of these feelings, it becomes terrifying and painful, and you need support. Healing from psychological and emotional trauma is significant to your healthy and peaceful future. Therapies used by experts such as Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Somatic experiencing, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help you resolve your unpleasant feelings and long avoided memories.
