Trauma - Healing and Growing Together

There is a saying, that goes: “Everybody wants happiness, no one wants pain, but you can’t have a rainbow, without a little rain”

Trauma. A word we hear more or often in society today, the impacts, the misunderstandings, the stigmas, the facts, the science, the healing, the growth. It shapes us in so many ways. We all experience it at some point in our lives, we all have different stories and rocky paths we are still trying to cross, some of us are still on our journey to healing and seeking help. 

Trauma can happend at any age and how you react does not determine how much strength you have, it can depend on many other factors of your life. 

Many of us bare the pressure of society, hiding invisible scars and living in such events and circumstances can be  so unpredictable. Life can take so many turns and it feels like the world has turned its back on us. It lingers beneath the surface everywhere we go, it floods our mind, and makes our heart race. It becomes our shadow at one point, following us everywhere we go, and there is no where to run or hide.

But there has to be a way out somehow. Right? We all need someone to guide us, to show us a way, someone to lean on, a coping technique. We all need a helping hand at some point. In this post, I will talk about understanding trauma, and its potential effects as well as how to seek help and support.

What is Trauma?

Sometimes in life a stressful or scary event can occur which can have a really devastating impact on someone and may find it difficult to cope. This can be long term or short term and have significant effects on someone weather it be emotionally, physically or mentally.  It is a result of a experience that can be difficult to emotionally or physically manage. Many events that happened in our lifetime can be extremely traumatic for some and everyone reacts to trauma differently. Not everyone will react or feel the same way about it. 

Examples of trauma can include loss of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse, childhood neglect, life threatening illnesses and so many more. There is so many ways and issues people experience in regards to trauma.

Effects of Trauma

When faced with a traumatic event, different people will be affected differently and can face many challenges. These challenges continue the influence our daily lives in various ways and understanding these effects can help us provide each other with support and help build empathy and understanding.

Short Term Effects of Trauma:  Short Term Effects can be immediate or quick reactions that people may experience in a time following a traumatic event. 

Examples of Short Term Effects include:

Emotional responses such as fear, sadness, shock. 

Difficulties concentrating or finding it difficult to make decisions.

Flashbacks or Intrusive Thoughts

Changes in Behaviour, Eating Habits, Sleeping Patterns

Long Term Effects: Long Term Effects are continuous mental, emotional , physical and behaviourial issues that can affect us for years, months or even for the rest of our lives.

Examples Of Long Term Effects:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anxiety and Depression

Relationship and Social Problems

Identity and Self Concept

Dissociative Disorder

The Importance of Seeking Support

As humans we are social creatures, we depend on each other often for support and approval. We may think that we have to be strong, and that we can deal with it alone or we might feel its difficult to trust anyone and those feelings are valid and completely okay especially after a traumatic event. But sometimes it can be too much being alone in our own head, stuck in the prison of our mind. We all need a shoulder to lean on and cry on or someone to talk to to lighten the burden. At some point, there does come desperation and its okay to ask for help. Its okay, to be vulnerable and to struggle, or to make mistakes because thats what makes us human.

You deserve the support you need, you deserve to feel heard and loved and cared for. You deserve to be here, and we can take this one step at a time slowly together. There is no rush and there is no pressure to get support from the people around you, so take your time. 

I know its difficult to accept help and support from other people at the moment, and you might feel helpless or desperate. But with time, things will slowly start to move forward if we put our minds to it. You have made it so far… 5 years… 10 years… 15 years… and so on. And you have survived and come this far. 

Your a flower waiting to bloom one day, just give it some time. Because without pain, there is no healing, no happiness, no realisations. I am so proud of you.

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day!

Bunny :)