Are you beginning to wonder when a good time to start exploring and understanding your trauma is? Have things from the traumatic situation (or situations) been coming up lately and have been disruptive?
Trauma refers to an emotional or psychological response to an event or experience that is extremely distressing or disturbing. Trauma occurs from a variety of sources and is different to all. It can include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes, physical or emotional abuse, and even relationships from family to partners can have a lasting impact.
The experience of trauma can have a profound and long-lasting impact on an individual's mental and physical health, as well as their ability to cope with and function in daily life. Trauma symptoms can include intrusive thoughts or memories of the traumatic event, avoidance of triggers that remind the individual of the trauma, hyperarousal, and a sense of detachment from others or one's own emotions.
So how do I know if I am ready? It comes down to where you are in terms of wanting things to change. When you ask yourself this question and look for resources to help, now is a good time. Basically when you are ready to take action! A therapist will help make sure you have strategies in place so that when you are tackling anything that is triggering, you can work through those times.
Let’s look at the benefits of attending therapy to process trauma:
Increased self-awareness: Therapy will help you gain insight into your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and identify patterns related to your trauma. This increased self-awareness will help you better understand your own experiences and develop healthier coping strategies.
Improved mental health: Trauma can have a significant impact on mental health, including conditions such as anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Therapy helps you manage symptoms of these conditions and improve your overall mental health.
Reduced stress and increase coping skills: Trauma can cause significant stress in your day-to-day life. Therapy will help you learn to manage stress and develop relaxation techniques to reduce the impact of stress on your life along with other useful strategies.
Improved relationships: Trauma affects your ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others, even with yourself. Therapy will help you develop stronger communication and relationship skills, improving your ability to connect with others and yourself.
Increased resilience: Through therapy, you will learn to develop resilience and coping skills to better manage future stressors and traumas. This helps you become more resilient in the face of adversity and improve your overall well-being.
What if I become triggered in therapy when talking about my trauma? This is a possibility as you will be exploring situations, feelings, and more about what happened and how it is impacting your life presently. You will have a therapist to be with you through this process from learning new skills to ways to manage symptoms when they occur even outside of the therapy appointment.
There were only a few questions in this post. You probably have more. Please reach out either to a mental health professional or me and your questions can find their answers. I can be reached through my contact form.
Blog Disclaimer - These posts are not meant to treat, diagnose, or serve as a replacement for therapy. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact your local crisis center or dial 911. Here are more immediate resources as well.