When you look at yourself in a mirror, it’s almost as if you can see each wound and scar on your body.

You have to mentally prepare to leave the comfort of your own home. It’s almost as if you have to put on bandages, bandaids, armor, and a mask each and every day before leaving your house. You want to make sure you, your body, and your mental health are protected.

Was it wrong for you to assume that you would heal with time? Unfortunately, despite the amount of time that has passed, the wounds are still there. They may not be fresh and open anymore, but the trauma that you endured has left a scar larger than you could’ve imagined.

Here’s how to heal from the wounds of past trauma.

Lean on Your Loved Ones

Trauma can make you feel like you’re alone. The signs and symptoms that you’re experiencing may even cause you to withdraw or self-isolate. Try not to do this as this may make your symptoms even worse over time. Your family and friends are there for you no matter what, through the good times and the bad times. Lean on them during this time. Let them know what you need from them whether that’s someone to just be there, a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to you.

Move Your Body

Exercise has been proven to help your body feel good from the inside out. When you exercise, your body produces feel-good chemicals or endorphins which can act as an instant mood booster. Exercising doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at the gym or run for miles on end. Moving your body can be as simple as going for a walk around your neighborhood, riding a bicycle, or dancing in the comfort of your own home.

Practice Self-Care

Self-care is one of the first things that gets ignored when mental health is suffering. Self-care is extremely important, no matter how you’re feeling. Whether you’re in a positive head space or a negative one, self-care shouldn’t be ignored. Make sure you’re setting time in your day to take care of yourself and your needs. Do things that feel good to you and that you enjoy doing. It may feel weird at first, but once you get started, the journey toward loving and appreciating yourself gets a lot easier.

Allow Yourself to Feel

There’s a good chance that you’ve tried to bury your memories, thoughts, and feelings about the trauma that you experienced deep down inside of yourself. You experienced it once already, and you don’t think you can manage to experience it a second time around. The truth is that you can’t fully heal unless you allow yourself to heal and fully process what happened. The longer you try to dismiss your feelings, the longer it will take to heal. Allow yourself to feel all of the emotions.

Seek Additional Support

After you experience a traumatic event, it can be hard to feel like yourself again. Some things require additional help and support. Trauma is one of them.

It may seem scary to reach out for help and dig into the wounds of the trauma that you may be trying to avoid, but therapy is one of the best ways to move forward after trauma.

A therapist will be able to work with you to work through the root cause of the trauma, any signs or symptoms you may be experiencing, and ways to cope and manage moving forward.

Don’t hesitate in getting the help you need and deserve. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation.