February 6, 2023

Why is it Important to Heal from Past Trauma?

Nour Fayad

Firstly, what is trauma? Trauma is a psychological response to an event, past or recent, that has a negative impact on an individual. The cause of trauma can be anything at all, from sexual assault, accidents, abuse in any form, being involved in natural disaster or simply just being a witness to anything such as these examples. The truth is, human psychology is so innate and unique, that a magnitude of events or circumstances can cause a trauma response.

Trauma is more likely to happen if the person involved was not expecting the situation to happen, for example, being involved in a natural disaster that you had no idea was going to happen, or had no time to prepare for, such as a Tsunami. It is also likely when the event happens multiple times or was at the hands of someone with bad intentions. Often, unhealed trauma is the result of experiences in childhood, or early adulthood. Sometimes, it can be unhealed from a previous relationship, that you might not have realised you were holding onto until you entered a new relationship.

How does trauma show up?

Again, the characteristic of trauma is different for everyone, but there are some typical ways that we see it present itself.  
Here are some signs of trauma:

  • Being or becoming a workaholic
  • Perfectionism
  • Dysfunctional relationships
  • Substance abuse
  • Eating disorders
  • Co-dependency
  • Poor self-care
  • Sleep issues
  • Extreme moods
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Disordered eating

 

And this is just some of them! The truth is, there is a whole host of signs that point to trauma response, even if you don’t know it yet. Your people pleasing or poor boundary setting can be a result of feeling like you didn’t have a voice, or that your voice wasn’t respected as a child.

As you can imagine, dealing with any of these signs would feel heavy, without the fact that many of them can co-exist. So to function every day, bearing the wait of these is incredibly hard, and as that builds up, a person might experience a trigger event, or, a total melt-down as a result of unhealed trauma. To live in the shadow of unhealed trauma means that you are not living a life true to who you are, you are living in a state of fear, even if you don’t realise it, the result of the trauma is holding you back from life experiences and opportunities. 

The perfect time to heal trauma is in the immediate aftermath of the event. The next perfect time is now, the minute that you have acknowledged that you need healing. 

Trauma healing is an in-depth process, in every case, it should involve a professional, while encompassing some self-work too.

 

Professional approach:

  • Cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Prolonged exposure therapy
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Talking/counselling

Self-work:

  • Meditation
  • Self-care
  • Getting outside for daily walks – movement and being outside are natural mind clearers
  • Set boundaries around any possible triggers, such as not attending family events
  • Start a hobby – something fun for you to delve into and busy your mind with

 

If you’re reading this and realising some familiar signs that are triggering the unhealed trauma in you, then, get in touch and start your healing today.