Millions of people are experiencing trauma every day. Most people will experience at least one traumatic episode in their lifetime. Many of them will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, many other of them will not. Even if the trauma you are experiencing is the first of its kind in every single detail possible, you are not the first person to experience trauma- even completely original trauma.
Realize: You aren’t alone. You are not alone to experience the trauma of loss when you are already in trauma recovery. Loss is, unfortunately, a part of life. Everyone experiences loss in some way, at some point in time. You are not alone in your experience of loss during your experience of being in recovery from trauma.Reflect: You have made it through before. Experiencing loss when you are in recovery for trauma can trigger some of your old feelings about your trauma. One common thought process is feeling like you are in danger though you are not in danger. Loss is not a threat to your life or your livelihood, though it can feel that way. Reflect on the various losses you have been through before in your life, big and small. You have experienced loss on a wide scale and you have made it to this point in your recovery, regardless of loss. You have made it through before and you will make it through again.Trust: You know the process. Since you have been through this experience in some form before, you know how this cycle goes. Loss comes with stages, none of which are sequential. Depression, acceptance, anger, bargaining- you will go through each phase over and over. With all of the tools from your trauma recovery at your expense, you will get through the process, just as you have before.Ground: You are in the present, not the past: Hidden in your toolkit for recovery are grounding tools that help you connect to the present moment and keep yourself from reliving the past. Reflecting on and recovering from a new loss can bring up your old trauma. Grounding practices will keep you focused on what is happening now as your brain and your body try to convince you you are in the past.Visualize: You will have a life after this moment: In the flurry of your different thoughts and feelings coming up, it can be feel difficult to imagine that life will get back to feeling serene again. It will. See the path in your mind. Envision the journey you are about to talk. Visualize who you want to be, how you want your life to look, and what you want to gain from this experience.