HOW TO OVERCOME EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

Depression

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In life, there are ups and downs and every human being passes through phases of challenges.  Even though the experiences differ, one thing that is certain is that when these challenges or surreal and mishap comes it affects who we are, gets deeply into our emotion and it can take a while to get over the pains and hurts we experience.

Emotional trauma disconnects our sense of being human leaving us helpless and disoriented.  But before I proceed, I’ll love to give you an insight into what emotional trauma means.

What is Emotional Trauma?

Emotional trauma is that situation or stressful occurrence or event that breaks or shatters your sense of security, exposing you to stress, making you feel helpless, depressed and lonely in a dangerous world.  Emotional trauma alters your emotions, memories and your real sense of belonging.  This can be caused by:

1.    One-time events, such as injury, accident and violent attacks especially if it was unexpected. 

2.  Ongoing, relentless stress, such as battling with a life-threatening illness or traumatic event that occurs simultaneously such as cheating, bullying, sexual abuse and domestic violence.

3.  Commonly overlooked causes such as sudden death or loved one, break-up of a significant relationship.

Coping with emotional trauma can be very challenging but whatever the cause of your trauma, the good news is that you can still make changes and move on with your life.

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Emotional trauma can result into shock, disbelief, denial, self-condemnation, confusion, mood swings, shame, anger, total withdrawal from people and lots more.  Even though these symptoms of trauma can take a few days, weeks, months or years to fade away but the truth is that you can heal up from it if you allow yourself to undergo healing process.

The question now is how can you overcome emotional trauma?

 

How to Overcome Emotional Trauma

1.    Get moving: Emotional trauma distorts natural body equilibrium as it freezes you in a state of hyper arousal and fear reducing endorphine (a hormone which reduces pain) in the body.  So, you can get moving by observing the following –

a.       Exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days.

b.      Practice mindfulness acts such as reading, listening to good music, watching movie, etc.  These are things that will distract you from reflecting on your hurtful thoughts.

2. Don’t Isolate: Trauma indeed makes some to retract or withdraw from people but isolating yourself can worsen the situation so it is advisable that connecting or mingling with people will help you to recover quickly.  Connecting with others doesn’t have to involve talking about the trauma because some people can easily make things worse.  Real comfort and solace come from feeling engaged and accepted by others.

3.  Seek for help: It’s very crucial and essential to seek help from positive people who will listen attentively without nailing you.  You can turn to a counsellor, clergyman, etc.

4. Get plenty of sleep: Emotional trauma can result in sleeping disorder and in order to maintain your emotional balance you need adequate and sound sleep (7 to 9 hours of sleep each night).

5.  Eat balanced diet: Eating balanced diet will give you nourishment replacing what has been depleted in your body during those sad moments.  Avoid sugary and fried foods, eat food that contains fibre and Omega-3 fats such as Salmon and Soybean.  In doing so, your energy level is boosted.

6.   Reduce Stress: Stress can be reduced by trying relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation.

 

When to seek professional therapy

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Healing up from emotional disorder can take time and people heal up at their own pace, but if it persists for months and the symptoms remains then seeking professional therapy will be the best solution.  So, seek help if you are having problems functioning properly, suffering from panic disorder, anxiety or depression, unable to sleep, experiencing nightmares, using alcohol or drug to feel better, etc.

Lastly, when a loved one suffers from emotional trauma, the support we give can make them to recover from it as all that is expected from us is to be patient with them, have a listening ear, don’t judge or condemn, offer practical support, help them to relax and socialize.  Helping someone today who is experiencing emotional trauma can make our world a better place to live.

Thank you.

 

©2020 Ogunsola Oluwasayo