Dealing with Trauma
There are many healthy and effective ways to deal with trauma that can minimize or remove symptoms of PTSD from our lives. People living with trauma or PTSD can still live happy and healthy lives by being proactive with their healing process.
If quality therapy or trauma treatment feels out of reach to you financially, find out about our Therapy Grants program.
Conversation
Sharing painful or traumatic experiences with someone can be incredibly healing and uplifting, whether that be with a professional or trusted confidante. In Alcoholics Anonymous, they have a mantra “you’re only as sick as your secrets”, and that can be incredibly true when someone is dealing with trauma without ever telling anyone.
Another risk to not telling anyone about your trauma is that it can lead to manifestations in negative ways, like addictions or self-harm. However, you want to ensure the person you decide to share with is respecting your emotions and experience as well as creating a safe space for you to share. Sharing can be incredibly healing and free you from guilt and many other symptoms, but if the process is too painful, consider another alternative, like writing.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your attention to the present moment, in order to bring yourself back to reality. The phrase “be present” refers to mindfulness and what it’s all about, and mindfulness is a great tool for those who have experienced trauma or experience re-traumatization.
In therapy, mindfulness is often practiced via “grounding”, which is a technique that incorporates your physical surroundings in order to bring your attention to the present moment. This can be especially effective for people who find themselves experiencing flashbacks or anxiety.
PRACTICE THE RULE OF FIVE:
Identify five things you see: “I see a bird, I see my shoes, etc.”
Identify five things you smell: “I smell leaves, I smell perfume, etc.”
Identify five things you hear: “I hear traffic, I hear talking, etc.”
Identify five things you feel: “I feel my shirt, I feel my hands, etc.”
Writing
While there is evidence to support how talking about trauma can be very healing and beneficial, for many this practice can be re-traumatizing and difficult. However, the practice of writing about trauma, or journaling, has been shown to have huge benefits both physically and mentally.
Writing can be as simple as 15 minutes a day, whether writing about your traumatic experience, or just what you are doing in the moment.
If you’re new to the practice of writing or journaling, here are some tips for getting started:
Find a good space: when you sit down to write, find a space that is quiet and brings you a sense of calming. Spaces that are too cluttered or have too many distractions may just serve to induce anxiety.
Keep it confidential: unless you decide to share any of your writing with your therapist at some point, give yourself permission to keep your words private and confidential. This notion will also help to get you in the habit of being completely honest with your writing, if you don’t think anyone will ever read it.
Date your entries: keep a record of your entries, in case you ever need to go back and reference something. This may also help you track progress of emotional processing.
Write naturally: don’t worry about the structure of your writing when you’re doing it for therapy reasons, just get your thoughts out there on the paper.
Be honest: write for you, for nobody else. Put down exactly what you are feeling.