The experience of trauma changes a person in many ways, and one of those is the way in which a person perceives the world, other individuals or themselves. More often than not, trauma scars are internal and not necessarily depicted outside, yet, they affect the emotional or mental shape of individuals in ways that are hard to explain. For many survivors, these patterns can manifest a self-blame, guilt or worthlessness in them. There is however, a soft but effective means of commencing to cut the ties that bind to the terrible emotional urging internal work: it is called self awareness.
The Power of Awareness in Trauma Recovery
As it is the case in any other healing practice, awareness is of vital importance in trauma recovery processes. This means that there is an acknowledgment of how the past shapes one’s current thinking, feelings, and the way that one acts. Most people suffering from trauma go through what may be termed as protective mechanisms like being in a state of emotional freezing or being overstimulated which keeps one separated from one’s emotions.
Through awareness, new insights can be developed whereby feeling patterns are noticed but not evaluated. If properly nurtured, we develop an understanding of the reactions associated with anxiety, hate or sadness and what it is that causes them. The focus of awareness is not to resolve the feelings or try to erase them from the person’s being. Instead, it is about letting himself or herself set aside a moment of worrying about and cringing away from such feelings. Rather, it is to notice them and their presence and then even comprehend.
For example, recognizing that a certain sound or a certain location can trigger anxiety and the reasons for this anxiety which are usually found in the distant past is the first step in connecting the present and the past. If there is no consciousness, then those responses may rule over us. If there is consciousness, then we can occupy ourselves with working out a distance between the stimulus and our reaction which is the first step towards recovery.
The Role of Acceptance: Letting Go of Judgment
After we have identified the emotional patterns that we exhibit, the next step is to accept those patterns. Acceptance is not synonymous with justifying or relativising the trauma, and its effects; rather it is the ability to feel those emotions without judging them. It is all for yourself, in this situation it is called self compassion, which is basically a way of saying “It is fine to feel this way”.
More often than not, it is survivors of trauma who are hardest on themselves when they believe “if only” I did this differently or when they feel their feelings are wrong or inappropriate. This kind of judgment does not heal anything and in fact makes everything worse because it aggravates the injury. Acceptance allows people to move away from such unkind criticisms toward the self. It encourages us to treat our feelings as appropriate reactions to challenging situations.
Acceptance means that we allow ourselves to feel whatever is in us, be it grief, anger, or fear without the need to transform or hide it. Non-resistance helps in reducing the feeling of exploding within the confines of inner suppression and backlashes as aggression or other avoidance patterns.
Self-Compassion: The Healing Balm for Trauma
Self-compassion plays a significant role in therapeutic trauma care, a feeling that is necessary to drift deeper into healing. Self-compassion requires that an individual treats themselves the same way they would do to a very close friend. Most people that have undergone trauma have a problem with this, as they feel unlovable or unworthy of care because of severe traumas they have gone through. But it is exactly this self-compassion that makes it possible to start relying on others for support and to actually heal oneself.
Studies have revealed that self-compassion has the ability to help individuals recover from feelings such as shame, anxiety, and depression- which is possible after undergoing a traumatic event. Instead, by giving ourselves kind attention, we promote an inner healing environment for recovery and suitable to remain unspoiled by criticism and fear.
Compassion, or more specifically self-compassion, comes in many shapes and forms. For example, it may mean giving yourself kind words of encouragement in times when the feeling is that it has perfectly reached overboard. Allowing oneself some time to relax when it is necessary might be another form, instead of forcefully working when one is exhausted. Or sitting down with one’s pain and suffering but totally accepting that there are flaws in each person and there is love and healing in spite of them.
As we cultivate self-compassion, we gradually diverge from saying “What’s the matter with me?” to “I am doing my best given the situation- not necessarily great.” Such a shift opens up access to healing and growth and even allows letting go of the emotional burden of shame and guilt and taking up a new position of self-acceptance.
Integrating Awareness, Acceptance, and Self-Compassion
Everyone in trauma is not cured in a sense of wanting to move from point A to point B in this case. It takes a lot of self-care, a willingness to be exposed, and time. However, adding such concepts into one’s rehabilitation cuts out the greatest extent of hopelessness and boredom one might face.
- Increase Awareness: Think over your feelings and also thoughts in the course of the day. Try to observe when and what pictures or sensations invade your brain. Apply techniques of mindfulness, for instance, breathe in deeply or scan the body to center yourself.
- Transition to Acceptance: Recognize your emotion(s) on a certain pattern and begin to regard them as acceptable. Comfort yourself that there is nothing wrong with anything that comes out. Acknowledge your feelings and let them be – don’t call them ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
- Find Self-Compassion: Lastly, make it a point to be gentle with yourself. When feelings bring you down, talk to yourself in the same manner that you would speak to someone whom you love. Give yourself the understanding that you deserve for you to be able to heal.
It is through these three components that healing, where the individual feels empowered and hopeful for the future, becomes a possibility. Remember a very important point: the process of overcoming is gradual and requires time and effort. Step by step, with awareness, acceptance, and self-compassion, there is a possibility to return to one’s life and invite happiness and peace.
Conclusion
To recover from the trauma inflicted on your psyche, more than just the lapse of time is needed; there has to be healing that encompasses the mind, soul, and body. To heal in the truest sense of the word, we need awareness to recognise the patterns, acceptance to absolve blame, and self-compassion to nurture ourselves. Collectively, these practices bring us and aid us in the recovery journey where we learn to forgive our past, accept how we feel and learn to love ourselves to a point where we are ready to take the next step.