Who knew letting go would be this difficult?

If only it were as simple as just slapping on a Band-Aid and calling it a day. Wouldn’t that be nice, right? Unfortunately, trauma can’t be healed with a Band-Aid.

The trauma didn’t happen overnight, which means you won’t be fully recovered over the course of just one night either. Healing from trauma takes time.

Whatever happened to the past is the past? Why won’t the past just stay there? As much as you want to keep your past in the past, it keeps managing to fight its way to your present again. No matter how hard you push it down and try to bury it inside of yourself, it finds its way back up again.

Here are 3 ways to begin healing from past trauma.

1. Acknowledge How You Feel

You may feel the urge to push any thoughts, feelings, or emotions you may have about your trauma deep down inside of yourself. You’ve already dealt with the trauma, you don’t want to have to relive it. You may have even tried convincing yourself that the trauma wasn’t that bad or that it didn’t even happen. Feeling this way is totally understandable.

Unfortunately, the longer you keep dismissing how you feel, the longer it will take to start the process of feeling better. Acknowledge how you feel and allow yourself to feel all of the feelings. The only way to move forward in your life again is to allow yourself to recognize the trauma. Admit to yourself that it did happen, but you were not responsible for it, and you can and will overcome it.

2. Take Care of Yourself

It may be hard to focus on yourself and your wants and needs when you’re dealing with past trauma, but taking care of yourself can actually help with some of the signs and symptoms you may be experiencing. Fueling your body properly and taking care of your mental, physical, and emotional health is a great step towards being able to better manage and cope with any stress you may be feeling from the trauma.

The trauma may be affecting your daily routine and lifestyle. If left untreated, it may affect your eating habits and sleeping schedule, as well as other areas in your life. Try not to let it creep in and take control over your life in the present. Aim to eat between 3-5 healthy and well-balanced meals throughout your day. Do not skip meals. You need to make sure you’re fueling your body properly so you have enough energy and stamina to make it through each day. Another way you can make sure you have enough energy is to get enough sleep each night. Aim to hit at least 8 hours of sleep each and every night. Try to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning.

3. Seek Additional Support

One of the best ways to begin healing from past trauma is to seek additional support. Although your trauma may make you feel like you’re alone, help is available to you. One of the best and strongest things you can do for yourself is by reaching out for help.

Don’t hesitate to get the help you need and so very much deserve. Working with a therapist can help you uncover the root cause of your trauma, work through any signs or symptoms you may have as a result of the trauma, and help you find ways to better manage or cope.

Recovery is possible. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.