Everyone deals with trauma in their own, unique way. But as it mainly happens person-to-person, much of the healing also happens person-to-person.
Assault, violence, abuse, even trauma resulting from medical emergencies and natural disasters materialize in a social context.
Receiving an initial response of blame, criticism, or denial, rather than believe and support, may affect your healing process.
Venting and complaining about the traumatic experience may be needed sometimes, though some ways of talking about trauma can aid your healing process by bringing relief faster —like open, heart-to-heart conversations, and regular ongoing discussions to bring about understanding.
Some of the benefits from choosing to talk about your experience include:
✯ Receiving support - when you join a group of people who have gone through a similar experience, it can feel like breathing fresh air, because where trauma isolates, the group re-creates a sense of belonging, where trauma shames and stigmatizes, the group affirms; group validation helps with the emotions that create isolation.
✯ Making sense of what happened - turning the unspeakable into language is necessary to make sense of trauma, you can do this in a journal, with your family, and with your therapist.
✯ Realizing you are more than your trauma - your identity isn’t defined by what happened to you, as a survivor, you can become the hero of your story.
✯ Understanding it was not your fault - talking can transform certain beliefs and update your worldview, it is ok to trust, you are worthy, asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak.
✯ Finding meaning - trauma incentives us to look within and re-evaluate what is important for us. It increases our sense of purpose, reminds us to focus on our family or community, enhances our capacity to give back, and enlightens us about our strength and resilience.
🤍 Trauma healing is a journey. You can do it at your own pace. Just remember: you don’t have to go through it alone.
You may have many reasons to stand still and stay silent. Please consider there are many more to speak the unspeakable and move forward towards freedom and self-care.
I am here for you.
~ L, 💐.