The majority of us have experienced trauma in our lives, which has made our ability to cope with daily life very challenging at times. Understanding what is actually going on in our brains when we are struggling to cope can help us to be more compassionate with ourselves. In turn, we can seek the appropriate help and support we need to heal and rewire our brains for recovery. If you have experienced trauma, you may experience stress, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, or insomnia. You may also notice that you are having difficulty remembering or concentrating on things. Additionally, those of us who have endured trauma may find it difficult to regulate our emotions. We may have much stronger feelings in reaction to a situation than the situation than usual. For instance, we might feel angry and irritable long after a small disagreement with a colleague or friend.
- Trauma has a significant impact on our ability to access the part of our brain where processing and meaning occur. No matter the event or cause, our mind believes that we are in a life-threatening situation and goes into flight, fight,” freeze” mode. If we are unable to process through and resolve the original trauma, we may experience retraumatization. We can be triggered by things like smells, colors, sounds, or sensations, sending us back into a state of disconnection or disassociation.
- We need to understand how our body reacts when we have experienced trauma. Unresolved trauma can impact our ability to cope with daily challenges, so we need to seek help and support to navigate our healing process.
- We are all individuals, and the way we respond to trauma is unique as well. We will all respond to trauma differently, behaving in unexpected ways. Feeling shame about our behaviors can keep us from fully functioning in our daily lives. It is important to remember that these are normal human responses to abnormal events that have surpassed our ability to cope.
Healing our trauma is at the heart of our recovery program. At The Guest House Ocala, our evidenced-based, multimodal therapeutic offerings have helped countless people to recover. You are not alone, and many others are also struggling. We’re here to help you with over 12 years of experience supporting and helping others with their trauma recovery. Call 855-372-1079 today for more information.