You Can Try These Ten Methods to Heal From a Trauma

Trauma is a pain that resides with a victim for years after a terrible, negative and horrifying incident. Trauma affects a person psychologically and emotionally. Psychological and emotional trauma generally causes a person to experience upsetting emotions, reoccurring thoughts of painful memories and anxiety.

Some of the types of traumas are acute trauma, chronic trauma, complex trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and childhood trauma.

Victims of trauma are unable to trust easily. They feel disconnected when forming relationships and socializing. They face intrusive thoughts, alterations of cognitions and moods, and become tensed and anxious about their surroundings.

Traumas can arise from any negative incidents that cause psychological, emotional, physical and sexual harm to the victim.

Trauma is an extensive topic. I am keeping it broad and simple so that readers can comprehend and apply some effective methods of healing.

I shall now share ten methods to heal trauma.

Share Your Thoughts With A Trustworthy Person

Share your thoughts with a trustworthy person. By sharing thoughts, you lift those heavy burdens off your chest. This person should be someone who can listen actively, empathize, guard your secrets and is able to work together with you to overcome the challenges that you are going through.

Two Lessons From A Pineapple Tart

I have named these lessons the ‘pineapple tart method.’ I will tell a short story on how I came up with this name.

Jack loves eating pineapple tarts. He has a ‘habit of eating them fast’ which led him to choke on one of those tarts, while he was watching his favorite television show.

Jack gasped for air. He coughed repeatedly and managed to spit the choked tart. His wife brought him to a doctor and he was given some medicines to soothe his throat. Though Jack was fine, the choking experience which affected his breathing for a few minutes ‘remains etched in his mind.’

From that day, Jack stopped eating pineapple tarts. He even walks out of any room whenever he hears or sees anything related to pineapples. He stopped eating other kinds of tarts and cookies too. Though avoiding sugary cookies and tarts helped him sustain his physical health, it didn’t add great benefits to his mental health. He was still buried in his post-traumatic stressful thoughts.

After six months, an idea flew into his wife’s mind. She decided to do some home interventions and rescue Jack from trauma. She spoke to him and helped him reflect on ‘what caused him to choke.’

Reflecting with his wife, Jack agreed that the underlying reason for his choking was due to ‘eating too fast,’ and being less mindful of his actions. Jack was so engrossed in his television show that he didn’t pay much attention to how he was chewing the tart.

Lesson One: Do Guided Reflections Together With Victims To Help Them Out Of Trauma — “Walk with them slowly to the dark moments of the incident.”

Guided reflections help victims understand what caused the negative incident, and what were the contributing factors to that incident. Reflecting gives us clarity on what went wrong (contributing factors to an incident) and what can be done for now (remedy) and in the future (preventive measures).

His wife helped him resume his normal eating habits by guiding him to ‘chew his tarts bit by bit.’ With steady practice, Jack became more mindful and present whenever he eats. This story tells us that helping and healing a person requires patience and effort.

Today Jack has overcome his trauma and has started living a normal life again; he stopped avoiding his adversary ‘Mr. Pineapple.’

Lesson Two: Practice New Actions By Taking One Step At A Time Slowly

It is good to help trauma victims by guiding them with baby steps. Do one thing at a time and do it slowly, until victims regain confidence and trust in performing actions and routines comfortably.

Eating pineapple tarts bit by bit teaches a lesson on how to work towards healing and positive changes with small and simple steps daily.

Practice Mindfulness

When managing and overcoming traumas, it is good to practice mindfulness. One simple way to practice mindfulness is to remain aware and mindful of the actions of our five senses. They are hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling.

If the mind wanders to past traumatic events, bring back the mind to the present moment by centering the attention to these five senses. For example, feel the sensation on your skin, observe something that you see and experience the taste of the food that you are eating.

As the mind becomes more present, it wanders less into pain-causing thoughts. This method will help the victim cope with the traumatic thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness might be challenging in the beginning but you can do it at ease with consistent practice.

Learn From People Who Went Through Similar Incidents

The best way to cope with trauma is to learn from people who went through similar incidents as you. When helping people with trauma, I have come across questions whether “I have gone through trauma in my life.” At times, when it comes to overcoming pain and healing, people are keen to listen and be drawn to those who have similar experiences as them.

Speak to those who went through similar incidents. You will learn ways on how they cope with their trauma, and you will realize you are never alone in this journey of healing.

Be Mindful When Healing Yourself and Others

Be mindful of telling all trauma victims that their past incidents are lessons. Lessons are usually the mistakes we commit, and then we learn from them and grow. I learned that not all past incidents are caused by the victim. Some are lessons and some aren’t. Some of these incidents are just moments to rethink and regrow.

If you are not the cause of your past traumatic incident, then you should first stop blaming yourself. You can start working on ways to empower yourself and empower others who have suffered similar incidents as you. Painful moments guide you into becoming a great teacher and healer for yourself and others who are in need.

Pen Down

When working through trauma, write down the thoughts that arise in your mind. Look at these thoughts and trying working on them calmly. One trick to deal with intrusive and anxious thoughts is to pen them down first.

As you transfer them from your mind to the paper, your ‘thoughts meet you face to face’ and this gives you more clarity. Writing down is a way of looking at your thoughts instead of listening to them. The head feels less heavy and the heart feels more relieved when you pen them down.

Be Prepared

As you work through these thoughts, also prepare your mind for the worst-case scenario. Prepare solutions that you could confidently use to control and subdue the worst situation.

Here is an example of a “what if" question. What if I encounter the same negative situation again, and what will I have to do next time that would help me control and subdue that situation better?

Write down all possible solutions that you will take to protect yourself from the negative situation if it reoccurs. Discuss these solutions with a trusted peer or therapist. Keep in mind that it is always good to hope for the best and be mentally prepared and ready for the worst situation.

Mentally practicing to handle and control the worst situations is also a healing method, it adds strength to the mind.

Engage In Activities That Help Other Trauma Victims

By helping others, you gain a deeper understanding of your strengths and gain knowledge about the challenges faced by other trauma victims. Knowledge and inner strength prepare you with confidence and the fervent will to forge ahead in your healing journey.

I am sharing this from a spiritual perspective; helping others by sharing your value-added stories to empower and inspire, will radiate positive energy within and around you. This positive energy itself will create an aura of tranquility, which will progressively release you from the grips of your trauma.

Limit Contents, Exposure to People and Speech That Threatens Your Safety and Worsens Your Trauma

There are some people who lack empathy and sensitivity over the pains of others. They might use words that could encumber your healing journey. You may wish to limit your exposure and communication with such people.

Lastly, never read or watch disturbing contents that worsen your mental health and trauma. Always be aware of what you feed in your energy space when self-healing.

I trust this will be helpful. Thank you for reading my healing insights.