I learned a great deal about trauma in my masters and doctorate program but nothing beat the education I got going through it first hand on January 22, 2020.  First a bad vehicle accident and Covid hit and locked us down and put the fear of death in us with the media and political reaction. I was isolated and depressed.  I couldn’t walk and had a major concussion that lasted way too long.  My body throbbed in pain, I was bruised and battered. I was emotionally at my lowest.  My heart raced at times and I had panic attacks.  When  I tried going through simple day to day life tasks like bathing or using my scooter I shook and trembled. I did tele-therapy with a trauma specialist and learned so much from her. I also studied a pile of trauma books and journal articles to pull through that season and have been using what I experienced and learned to help clients daily.  Here is some of what I learned.

So many feelings accompany trauma: distrust, overwhelmed, alone and lonely, disconnected from the world, empty, helpless, trapped, plus so many more. It is exhausting work due to the constant fight or flight syndrome.  These feelings must be worked through in a specific manner.

I learned the exercises and movements that help ease the trauma, concussion and body aches, the dietary changes that made such a difference, how to change to healing thoughts, what to limit in my life and what to say no to, how to create a safe stable base.  How exactly to use the gift of rest and quietness as healing.  How loving relationships help us heal. Prolonged Grief Disorder and Complex PTSD accompany trauma and also must be dealt with in specific steps.

It takes courage, persistence and trauma focused therapy to heal.  There is help. I had to learn how to reach out and ask for it. You can too.