Who’s To Blame: Myself or Trauma?

Over the last couple of years, I have heard the word “trauma” be mentioned often in the right context or not. Instead of people saying, “that was scary,” I am hearing a lot more “this was very traumatic” or “I am traumatized now.” While this might be true for the specific individual, many others consider this word very lightly. Essentially, trauma can be defined as “an emotional response to an overwhelming and physically or emotionally threatening event” which entails life experiences no matter what stage of life you were in (Dexter, 2022). For this reason, when people face something traumatic, it distorts the individual’s ability to focus and affects other parts of their life such as, but not limited to, an increase in anxiety, depression, and negative sleeping patterns. Thus, we notice the unhealthy patterns it begins to create in our lives if we do not learn how to cope with trauma appropriately. For this reason, below are three tips to cope with trauma that have served me well and I wish the same for you. 

Tips To Cope With Trauma:

• Verbalize Your Trauma. I was recently talking to someone who experienced a traumatic event and verbalizing the situation offered a sense of peace and comfort within her. Just the same, when I underwent my traumatic event, the more I talked about it, the more I came to terms of acceptance and feeling comfortable with the experience. Many people say the only way to heal is by reliving the experience, and I would say there is some truth to this. You can relive an event by talking about it and slowly lead to your healing. 
• Address The Feelings. Many times, we are advised to look on the bright side of an event which sometimes can be harmful as you are not allowing yourself to process the emotions. For this reason, I encourage you to let yourself feel these emotions once again to address them appropriately rather than brushing them to the side. Finding healthy ways to manage these emotions will help you cope with the situation healthier. 
• Practice Relaxation Techniques. A good technique to practice daily are relaxation strategies such as grounding or breathing exercises. Sometimes the anxiety and fear that creeps from the traumatic experience can feel overwhelming, therefore, finding healthy coping patterns will allow space for you to feel in control of your progress and life. Hence, this practice serves as a way to continue living your life rather than letting this traumatic event guide your future.

Perhaps it has been hard for you to proceed with life constantly reliving this traumatic event, therefore, I encourage you to apply the above tips in your life. On the other hand, someone you know may be facing something at this moment and you want to know how to help them. For this, I encourage you to be a great listener and validate the individual’s emotions attempting to demonstrate compassion, love, and attention. After all, just as you can stand up for someone else, It is my hope that you can do the same for yourself. 

Source:

Dexter, G. (2022, January 26). Healing From Past Trauma. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-let-go-of-past-trauma-5212227

Written by : Rachel Garcia; Masters Intern at Olive Branch

If you need support, live in the Chicago area, and would like to speak to a professional counselor, please contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.