Trauma and Beyond
Thoughts about the past keep coming to the surface.
Something bad happened. I’m not sure why I keep thinking of it now. I thought I was over it. I am usually able to push through difficult situations, but, lately, I feel like everything is falling apart.
Last week, I got really mad; and suddenly all the pain and memories I haven’t thought about for years came back to me. Now, I can’t sleep, I am irritable, I cry a lot, and I am worried about losing it.
I thought I was over it. What’s wrong with me?
Let’s start from the end.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU!
Trauma is NOT a shameful word. As human beings, we all experience trauma at one point in our lives.
However, it does not mean that we all develop PTSD. We now no longer look at the severity of the event, but on how you cope with it.
What if I am not coping?
People usually seek help when the defenses and coping skills that they successfully used for years are no longer working.
This is usually due to an accumulation of new stressors.
Causes of trauma vary.
Trauma can result from any life-threatening or deeply distressing event, such as a car accident, assault, invasive surgery, natural disaster, or death of a loved one or pet. Any of these experiences may cause disturbing memories, nightmares, or flashbacks.
Sometimes, people experience ongoing abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence. This might cause distrust.
And, it’s important to note that “smaller” or more common situations, including bullying, the loss of a job, caring for a loved one, or chronic medical condition, can also profoundly impact your well-being. These reactions could range from being irritable to being depressed or having panic attacks.
Whether you experienced a personal tragedy, natural disaster, violence, or any other type of disturbing event, trauma can have a significant emotional toll.
Triggers can create reactions and hypervigilance.
If you have gone through an unwanted, painful experience, you may be finding it difficult to feel safe and stable.
It may seem as though you are stuck reliving the traumatic event over and over, especially when you are faced with a sight, sound, smell, or other sensation that brings you back to the terror you felt.
Perhaps you feel exhausted by the need to stay hypervigilant, but you can’t stop fearing that you’ll be hurt again.
It may be that you’ve experienced a loss, bullying, or something else that’s made you doubt your worth or purpose, but you feel ashamed and question if it was really “that bad.”
Whether the experience happened recently or long ago, you may worry that you have no control over your life or your future.
You are not alone.
Although the pain of trauma can be overwhelming and isolating, you are not alone or weak for what you are going through.
Many people experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives, sometimes without realizing it until years or even decades later.
It’s possible to forget or bury a traumatic experience until something else – such as a period of high stress, conflict in a relationship, or even a stimulus associated with what happened – triggers all those feelings of fear and pain.
Recovering from trauma is possible.
While there is no right or wrong way to feel after a traumatic event, there are strategies that can help you work through feelings of pain, fear, and grief, and regain your emotional balance.
Whether the traumatic event happened years ago or just recently, you can find a way to heal and move on with your life.
Thankfully, no matter what happened or how it is affecting you today, therapy can help.
Let’s talk about trauma in your life.
Contact me, so we can work together to help you get beyond the trauma that is holding you back from a better life.
