TRAUMA is a unique mental health struggle. Its effects are proof of the influence relationships and experiences have on our brains. We aren’t born with stress reactions. They’re developed and groomed over time.
Though trauma is common and negatively impacts people’s daily functioning, it’s rarely discussed. Trauma is underreported. Some people don’t share their stories due to shame or guilt. Some hide their pain to protect loved ones. Many keep their experiences quiet because it feels “dramatic” to “complain” about their experiences. Regardless of the reason, many individuals suffer in silence day after day, allowing symptoms to rule their lives.
An important thing I learned about trauma early in my counseling career is: If you sense there’s trauma, you’re probably right. While people feel like they’re holding it all in and suffering alone, that pain festers and affects, not only them, but those around them. It’s impossible to bury trauma deep enough to make it disappear.
Instead of burying stories in hopes that they’ll lose their power, people need to SPEAK UP and use that power for healing. Healing is not a race, but in order to start healing, you have to BE HEARD. Healing from trauma is about growing from a victim to a SURVIVOR. It’s about breaking cycles and PROTECTING YOURSELF and OTHERS.
Trauma is a wound. Emotional and psychological wounds must be properly cleaned and cared for just like a physical wound. If you stepped on a rusty nail, you wouldn’t ignore the pain and wait for time to heal the spot. The sore would fester, become infected, and
greater issues over a greater time period would be the result. You wouldn’t tell your loved one to ignore a physical wounds’ pain or infection.
It’s time to change the way we view trauma. It’s time to fight for healing. It’s time to BE HEARD. It’s time to encourage our loved ones to SPEAK UP and TELL THEIR STORIES. No voice is too small.