Still Laughing at Trauma?

Trauma?

I’m writing this blog because I’m still furious.

You see, some days ago I ran into a discussion on a blog where a traumatizing event was dismissed out of hand by the commentators. They told the person who opened up to her personal trauma to toughen up like everyone else does, and to just go on with her life and career.

Sounds familiar?

That’s what soldiers were told in WWI (and probably much earlier). Shell shock, they called it back then, and experiencing it was a “sign of lack of character”. Even today, soldiers are reluctant to get help for PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome). They still fear to be seen as weak, as losers, as “sissies”.

The general consensus is that it takes an experience of clear danger to life or personal integrity, including being helpless, to cause PTSD. However, there are several levels of trauma below full-blown PTSD. And it doesn’t take a life-threatening event to cause that kind of trauma.

It can be a movie one sees as a child. It can be pictures of disasters. (For example, I believe many people were traumatized by watching footage of 9/11.) It can be watching someone be in an accident, or arriving as first-responder. In fact, I think that any experience that causes someone to dis-function in certain situations may be called trauma.

And it’s not fun.

So if you meet someone who has trouble doing something we consider simple, or who experiences loss of sleep, loss of concentration, emotional upset and flashbacks when confronted with a certain situation – please don’t tell them to toughen up.

Tell them to get help, instead.

Because there is help. EFT is one modality, EMDR is another, hypnotherapy is a third. Even medication might help, depending on severity of the reaction.

PTSD and trauma can be healed.

Now, if you know you carry around trauma like that, get professional help. Please. You can get your life back with their help.

The following tapping set-up phrases are designed to make that easier for you. However, if you feel yourself getting upset during tapping – change your tapping immediately. Keep your eyes open and keep tapping on the points saying the simple phrase: “It’s over, and I survived.” Continue doing this until you calm down. And then go and get help. Seriously.

Even though something bad happened to me and it still influences me, I’m okay the way I am and I now allow myself to get help and deal with it.

Even though something happened that I can’t forget and that still makes me feel bad, I am okay the way I am and I now choose to get help to heal this.

Even though there is a part in my life that still troubles me, I’m okay the way I am, and I now choose to know I can get help and overcome this.

Please be gentle with yourself. Trauma is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a natural reaction that developed to keep us safe. It just isn’t very helpful in today’s society.  The good news is that – contrary to public opinion – you don’t have to carry it around throughout your life.

Image source: F. Moebius

PS: Traumas are a difficult topic, and dealing with them belongs into the hands of professionals. I am not allowed to work on PTSD cases through Skype (by German law which requires personal contact for therapy level support). However, I can help you deal with lesser events that might still upset you in certain situations. If you want my support, click HERE, send me an email, and we’ll work out the details in a skype call.