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Considerations to Keep in Mind While Recovering from Trauma
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A traumatic encounter is one in which you feel helpless, intimidated, or terrified. To create trauma, an injury need not be very severe. A single close call with death, such as in a vehicle accident, may be devastating. Complex or on-going trauma, like as neglect or abuse, may have a cumulative effect.
Considerations to Keep in Mind While Recovering from Trauma
Since trauma may be caused by both physical and psychological dangers, it is not usually immediately apparent. However, its effects, in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder, might last for years (PTSD).
Experiences of trauma may shake up one’s fundamental assumptions about reality and their own place in it. Any and all aspects of your life are susceptible to the repercussions of this upheaval, from future goals to your physical health and perspective on your body.
Adjusting to such a dramatic shift may be difficult, and the road to recovery from trauma isn’t often smooth or straightforward. There will likely be roadblocks, diversions, delays, and lost ground on your voyage. It’s okay if you have no clue where you’re going or how to get there.
And just as there are many ways to overcome trauma, there are also various ways to heal from it. There is no set path to follow, but bearing these 7 things in mind may aid you along the route.
There are progressive phases of recovery.
There is no quick fix for overcoming the effects of trauma. The recovery process often entails many steps, and you should not miss any of them.
The Extended Transformational Model of posttraumatic growth identifies five distinct phases of healing:
- Features present before the tragedy. Before the trauma, you had certain characteristics and ways of thinking. This phase represents your overall condition just after the traumatic event has place.
- Rumination. Your brain’s primary focus during this phase is on processing the trauma and making sense of what just transpired. You could be experiencing a lot of intense emotions and disturbing flashbacks right now.
- focus on the core event. A pivotal moment has arrived. In this phase, you assess how the traumatic experience has altered your life and choose your next steps.
- Control. At this point, you are actively working to improve your life and deal with the effects of the trauma you’ve experienced.
- Mastery. During this phase, you develop and hone your coping mechanisms in preparation for a more stable existence in the future. Even while the trauma is still having an impact on your life, it is no longer in charge.
It’s possible that your road to recovery won’t look precisely like this one. These guidelines are meant more as a basic outline than an exact set of instructions. There may be a variety of distinct phases or processes in the trauma healing process according to various models. The general arc tends to stay the same, however.
Recovery is not a contest.
Reading the experiences of others who have gone through something similar may help you feel less alone.
Yes, personal accounts of rehabilitation may serve as a source of motivation and a means of reducing feelings of isolation. However, you should resist the need to compare your personal experience to that of another.
Perhaps you: You may be envious of how quickly they adjusted, or you may feel terrible for acting out while they showed such composure. But remember that you are on a trip that no one else can take for you.
Someone else’s pre-trauma experiences and post-trauma surroundings will be distinct from your own, even though you both endured the same traumatic event. When contestants use various routes, the race cannot be considered fair. The only foolproof method of monitoring your progress? Think about where you came from. Remember that another person’s achievement does not negate your own.
Your whole self is involved in recovery.
Healing from trauma is a process that requires support from others. Consider the following: you have survived a sexual attack. Your reaction to trauma may be affected by a number of variables, including your gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion. Those facets of your personhood should always be included in trauma treatment programmes.
Culture-informed treatment that includes traditional healing practises was shown to be helpful for Indigenous survivors of sexual assault, according to a 2014 Canadian research. These methods of culturally-informed treatment recognised the role that colonialism and racism had in shaping their present traumas. Furthermore, it capitalised on the strengths present in religious and social networks, which conventional approaches to mental health had ignored.
Growth after trauma is conceivable
Any personal development that occurs as a result of healing after a traumatic event is referred to as post-traumatic growth. Actually, it’s not the trauma itself but the process of rehabilitation that brings about growth. That is to say, you may develop resilience not as a result of the pain and anguish, but in spite of it.
Keep in mind, too, that recovery from trauma isn’t binary. For many, life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. For instance, you could discover that recovery has made you more appreciative of the little things in life, but also more susceptible to negative emotions.
Taking care of oneself may be a form of defiance.
The healing process isn’t often given enough time by society as a whole. Some individuals you meet on your road to recovery may encourage you to “move on” from your traumatic experience or “just get over it now” and go back to your normal routine. Naturally, this guidance is geared more toward their goals than yours.
It’s possible you’ll require more sleep than you expect throughout the rehabilitation process after experiencing a traumatic event. When you need a break, it’s OK to sleep, watch a sentimental TV programme or book, or just sit quietly.
You prefer conflict over emotional connection. Self-care may be seen as an act of vengeance against those who would do you harm. In other words, you’re actively working to shield your physical and mental self against future trauma.
Feeling well may be a win in and of itself.
There are community resources available to you.
Having friends you can lean on is an essential element of healing from trauma for many individuals. As they begin the fragile process of rehabilitation, many trauma survivors find that their ties with family, romantic partners, and friends strengthen.
However, if someone you know and trust in your community has injured you, you may not feel comfortable telling everyone about your experience. If that’s the case, finding a local peer support group to join could help. People who have experienced comparable tragedies often find comfort and support in a support group.
Most support groups do not charge anything and are strictly private. However, you may join support groups online from the comfort of your own home if you prefer anonymity.
Trauma-informed therapy can help
Healing is typically aided by having the support of a mental health professional, and especially a therapist who is trained to deal with trauma.
Summary
A traumatic encounter is one in which you feel helpless, intimidated, or terrified. Trauma may shake up one’s fundamental assumptions about reality and their own place in it. There are progressive phases of recovery. There is no set path to follow, but bearing these 7 things in mind may aid you along the route. There are a variety of distinct processes in the trauma healing process according to various models, but the general arc tends to stay the same.
These guidelines are meant more as a basic outline than an exact set of instructions. Remember that you are on a trip no one else can take for you. The healing process isn’t often given enough time by society as a whole. For many, life is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Recovery has made you more appreciative of the little things in life, but also more susceptible to negative emotions.
Taking care of oneself may be a form of defiance. Self-care may be seen as an act of vengeance against those who would harm you. Having friends you can lean on is an essential element of healing from trauma. Healing is typically aided by having the support of a therapist who is trained to deal with trauma.
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