When you are traumatized, it can often be hard to carry on with your day-to-day life. You may feel triggered often, or unable to move on after what has happened. As difficult as it may sound, you have to try to function and move forward.
Otherwise, you may feel stuck living over the same things again and again. In order to heal, you have to release yourself from reliving the trauma. So, let’s take a look at trauma, how it affects us, and how to work through it.
About Trauma
Trauma can be described as the emotional response to a horrible event, such as an accident, a natural disaster, an assault, etc. When something traumatic happens to you, you can feel shock or denial initially, but the trauma can stay with you.
Further down the line, trauma can manifest itself as both physical symptoms and emotional symptoms. For instance, at first you could suffer from nausea or even headaches. The world may feel like it is spinning around you. You could have trouble sleeping or focusing on anything, as concentration becomes more of a struggle.
In terms of emotional signs of trauma, you could feel anxious, or easily frightened or startled. You may likely always be hyper aware of your surroundings, feeling constantly on guard, or anticipating danger.
Some folks might participate in self-destructive behaviors, such as drinking, doing drugs or behaving erratically. Trauma can also make you more aggressive, angry, or irritable. In some cases, you may feel guilty or ashamed of what happened.
The important thing to remember is that what happened was not your fault. The trauma can be overwhelming, and you may suffer from a variety of conflicting feelings. When trauma overwhelms you, you may feel stuck and unable to move on. So, why does this happen?
How Does Trauma Keep You Stuck?
When individuals go through a traumatic event or experience, their sense of time can be confused. They may be stuck living in the past, and their vision of the future for themselves may disappear. All they may be able to focus on is the traumatic event, what is happening in front of them, or what has happened before.
Living through trauma can make you unable to adapt to what has happened. Trauma actually impacts your psychological ability and development, making it harder to make decisions, think clearly, and behave normally. You feel unable to adjust. This is because trauma can cloud your perspective, which makes it harder to move on.
It can feel as though the trauma now defines you, with repeated negative thoughts and flashbacks of what happened. It’s important that you know it doesn’t define you as a person.
How to Work Through Trauma
Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected, but this is very common. Although the trauma will not be erased, things can get better.
To work through it, you need to shift your focus. This can be done with the help of therapy or counseling, where you will:
- Process the traumatic memories and emotions
- Focus on the positive things in life, despite the trauma
- Find your triggers and work to limit your symptoms
- Refocus your thoughts from the trauma and into your life, your future, and what makes you happy
It is also a good idea to reach out to friends and family, or join a support group to work through what happened with those who are going through similar issues as you. You also need to take care of yourself. Prioritize self care, get enough exercise, food and sleep, and your body will release endorphins to boost your mood and energy levels.
Finally, you need to be patient with yourself. It’s a long process, but with the support of a qualified therapist, you can find a way to move forward, despite the past. Connect with us at Onyx and we can get you matched with a skilled trauma therapist.
