We are living in times of great uncertainty. There are constant threats and rocket attacks in the South, threats and uncertainty in the North, and the constant threat of terrorism everywhere in-between. We live in a tough neighborhood to say the least.
Most humans live with trauma from their present and their past. This trauma can be in the form of a big life-changing event that occurred, and can also be those daily or unacknowledged experiences that deeply affect how you think, feel and function in the world.
Both the big and little traumas have a profound effect on your body and on your daily life. When they are ignored or unprocessed, they can build up and result in serious illness or irreversible mistakes in judgment.
Given everything that’s going on around us, it makes complete sense to be deeply affected. You may be internalizing beliefs you’re not aware of that are influenced by the events around you.
However, you can relieve yourself of those beliefs and identify your symptoms so that you can begin to pave a path to freedom and a less stressful way of life.
In my work with individuals and in workshops, there are some common statements I hear that people believe to be normal or which they have accepted as personal flaws. The truth is, they’re being impacted by trauma. If we don’t acknowledge that, we can’t make the important shifts where it matters.
- “My head is all over the place.”
- “I can’t get anything done.”
- “I can’t stop scrolling on social media.”
- “I’m constantly checking the news.”
- “I’m always on edge and anticipating the worst-case scenario.”
- “My kids are so unsettled and worried which is upsetting me.”
There may be an ever-present looming feeling of things going wrong amid so much uncertainty. When the day-to-day routine resumes to normal, you may have a feeling that it could all erupt at any moment.
That doesn’t make you a pessimist. It’s a very normal trauma response.
A STUDY by Marjie L. Roddick, MA, NCC, LMHC on how your body reacts to trauma outlines five common responses to trauma that you may be able to identify in yourself. The first important step is always awareness of what’s happening so you know what kind of care you can take to transform your experience.
Read the full article here