Judy Crane, author of The Trauma Heart: We Are Not Bad People Trying to Be Good, We Are Wounded People Trying to Heal–Stories of Survival, Hope, and Healing offers a unique definition for trauma. She defines trauma as “any life event or series of life events or ongoing life events that create a negative impact on your life that changes or distorts your vision of yourself and your place in the world.” Trauma changes the way we see ourselves and see the entirety of our lives, the people we have relationships with, and our relationship to the world. When we experience trauma, we are experiencing a reality-shattering moment. Everything we thought we knew about ourselves and life around us transforms and the moment is completely out of our control. Such experiences shape our life, for the better and for the worse.
How Trauma Changes Us
Trauma can be described as a disorder of the nervous system. The brain and the body are affected by trauma through the nervous system. Our nervous system shuts down as it tries to regulate and process the amount of stimuli and information coming in. We react to the world through the functions of our nervous system. If our nervous system ceases to respond to the world normally, our mental and physical reactions change. Certain sounds, phrases, environments, smells, and other sensory information malfunction in our mind, triggering our trauma. Until we can learn to identify our trauma, our responses to it, and learn to regulate them, we can be overwhelmed by our trauma. From the impact of trauma to our recovery from trauma, trauma changes us because it changes our idea of life. Judy Crane explains that trauma recovery forces us to ask “How has my life and vision of myself been changed as a result of what has happened to me?” Realizing that our lives do change as a result of trauma is empowering, rather than victimizing. We can own our experience, realize that trauma happens, and conclude that our life has been impacted, but that we can recover. Looking to others who have recovered from trauma we realize that if they can heal, we can heal.
You are not a bad person who needs to find a way to be good. You are a hurt person, impacted by trauma, who needs to find a way to heal. Healing is possible. Everyone has a story when they arrive at The Guest House Ocala. Your story can change. Our private treatment programs welcome clients needing treatment for trauma, addictions, and related mental health issues. Luxury accommodations and concierge style custom treatment plans ensure that your needs will be met in healing mind, body, and spirit. For information, call us today: 1-855-483-7800