Deeper look at the living legacy of trauma

The symptoms that we have from trauma are our brains way of surviving a traumatic event and an attempt to keep us safe. While they may work short term, a lot of them have long term impacts that aren't so great. For this exercise, focus on how these things have helped you survive rather than how they may have hindered you. In Janina Fisher's workbook, the first worksheet asks you to look at the figure below and answer the questions: 

• How do your feelings about yourself change when you see these problems or symptoms are all part of the living legacy of trauma? 
• Choose 2 of your most troubling trauma symptoms and ask "How did ______ help me survive?