Trauma created change you didn’t choose.
You don’t choose to be afraid. You don’t choose to feel hurt. You don’t choose to feel on edge. You don’t choose to constantly think about what frightens you.
And you definitely don’t choose to feel defeated and hopeless.
But here you are… afraid, hurt, easily startled, and consumed by frightening thoughts. Instead of spending your day being in the moment and enjoying each second, your energy is spent constantly worrying about whether the next moment, the next situation, the next relationship will hurt you… again.
Surviving through the hurt…
“This time will be different. I won’t be caught off guard… not like last time.”
Maybe you’re not even sure you survive the pain, so you spend every second of your day ensuring you won’t be hurt again. You spend every moment trying to be two steps ahead so that you’ll be prepared for the next time.
But it hurts every time you are reminded of the incident, so you avoid it. After all, if you avoid what makes you afraid, you won’t be afraid.
But the discomfort doesn’t ease up. It feels as though your discomfort has intensified. Days have passed, and you can’t even recall what you did. Moments in time are foggy; and, at times, you don’t even remember what you were supposed to be doing.
Living in fear is lonely and exhausting…
Nighttime is worst. You can barely sleep; and when you do sleep, your nightmares wake you up in a panic. All you can do is think about that frightening moment.
So, you make certain you’re never in silence, because the fears return when the world is silent.
Maybe you try to talk to your friends and family; but all you hear is, “You will get over it,” “It’s all in your head,” or “You are stronger than this; just let it go.”
No one seems to understand. No one seems to see you in the darkness of your pain. You know something isn’t right, and it has not been right for some time.
The stigma of being afraid, weak, and vulnerable hangs over you like a neon sign. You start avoiding others because you fear what they may say if they see this neon sign. You begin to think:
“I am ashamed.”
“What is happening to me?”
“Am I losing it?”
Trauma lives in your body as much as it lives in your mind and brain.
Trauma is consuming you and creating physical and psychological changes that you didn’t choose.
Our thoughts influence our emotions. When those thoughts are negative, our emotions are negative, which can influence negative behavior.
It’s a cycle that not only influences our lives but how we interact with others around us and the world.
These negative thoughts are stored on memory networks in your brain and in general this network will influence future behaviors that will solidify this negative memory network. Therefore, you may feel like you are repeating the same behaviors or experiences.
What strengthens each memory on the network is the emotion more so than the event or the thought you had.
But healing is about creating change you DO choose.
Healing starts by speaking to a trauma specialist, like me, who understands what you are experiencing and understands how to heal you physically and psychologically.
Using a blend of renowned techniques such as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Techniques, and Internal Family Systems, you can finally heal your trauma.
My Approach…
When it comes to trauma, I prefer to focus on the root cause of why you’re feeling depressed and anxious.
By doing this, you will notice a change in your present ability to manage your anxiety.
Through using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), I will help you address the anxiety and depression at the source.
I also study Adaptive Internal Processing and interweave Internal Family Systems and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you better understand your memories and how to alter your thoughts.
Don’t neglect and devalue yourself a second longer.
The trauma of your past doesn’t have to control your present or future.
Call me today at (321) 333-4158 for a free phone consultation and learn how you can finally be free of your trauma and Love the reflection staring back at you.
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence”