Trauma is classed as memories that don’t fade, and cause flashbacks. This can be caused by anything from childhood to adult traumatic memories, to people who witness abuse to humans or animals, including people of course who have served during War.
Described as ‘haunting echoes’, it’s important to understand how to heal from trauma, so you don’t live the rest of your live reliving painful memories.
There are various types of trauma, from a single distressing event (like a natural disaster or an accident) to chronic truma (prolonged exposure to stressful situations) to complex trauma (say childhood abuse). Symptoms can range from constant anxiety and fear to anger and depression.
The Healing Process
The first step to healing trauma is to acknowledge and recognise it. Someone once wrote that ‘just like a tree does not say sorry for its fallen leaves, you should not apologise for the effects that trauma has had on your life’. Your feelings matter, and if you need outside help like therapy, that’s all for the good. Go for small steps that are achievable, knowing that healing from trauma can sometimes be a long-term process.
Although some people prefer to heal alone or with a one-to-one therapist, others prefer support groups. For instance, if you have unique circumstances, sometimes it helps to be in a group with others who have experienced the same trauma, so you know there are others who can understand.
Self-Help for Trauma Healing
Although trauma often needs outside help, there are many things you can do yourself, to support your healing journey. These include:.
Mindfulness meditation can help you to live in the present, when the world around you is chaotic. It can help you to stay grounded even for just a few minutes each day, which can eventually spill into daily life. Helping you to observe your thoughts and feelings, rather than always react to them.
Melli O’Brian (aka Mrs Mindfulness) has some lovely free meditations that you can try out. She’s an Aussie mindfulness teacher, who has come through severe trauma herself, and knows how to make you ‘resilient’ enough to cope with life’s hardships.
Cope with Triggers. Trauma often causes ‘triggers’. So learn what these are, so you can ‘turn them off’. For instance if you have been in a car crash, watching those ‘worst car crash or driver’ TV programs on TV is going to trigger stress. Who knows why the powers that be show these awful programs. If people didn’t watch them, the TV companies would not show them.
Develop Coping Strategies. If you are someone who is naturally very stressed, then find a few relaxing ways to live, then turn to those if you feel overwhelmed. For instance, not watching TV (due to stressful ads and upsetting news) is good. You can help the world (by doing good and donating anonymously to charity) without having to watch things that make you cry.
Choose friends wisely. If you have ‘drama’ friends, then spend less time with them, and find some healing friends instead. Think of things you love, then do them to make friends. If you like walking in nature, doing yoga and meditating, go for nature walks and take up a yoga or meditation class, and you’re more likely to find friends that are beneficial, rather than stress you out.
Helpful Resources to Help Heal from Trauma
52 Proverbs to Fight Depression & Trauma is book by an Irish horticulturalist, who works on community regeneration projects. Benefit from the ancient wisdom of Irish proverbs brought to life, passed down through generations to chart a course through life’s obstacles. Read along side his other book of 52 Proverbs To Build Resilience Against Anxiety & Panic
Read Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy, a book by a trained yoga therapist to help refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants with mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder to heal, due to trauma experienced before, during and after fleeing their country of origin. People often forget that people who ‘arrive on boats’ may have survived, but may well have fled torture, and even seen children drown in front of them, during the trips. How long would that take you to recover from?
Talk to a qualified teacher if pregnant or for medical conditions. Avoid inversions for eye problems and during menstruation.
Put Your Past in the Past is a book to help you stop reliving old traumas and unconsciously repeating it. This just brings more pain and damage. And can lead to self-destructive behaviour, unhealthy decisions, choosing the wrong partners, getting stuck in emotional cycles, and sabotaging chances of success. This book by psychotherapist Beverly Engel offers tips to truly heal.
Carolyn Spring has lots of good info on healing from trauma. Download her free resources for anyone recovering from trauma (plus there are good resources for therapists). Carolyn has suffered a lot of trauma herself and runs a lovely podcast (she has a nice relaxing voice, a likeable listen, if you need help).
