Overcoming Past Trauma for a Brighter Future
We all experience traumatic events at various points in our lives. We may be in or witness a car accident. We may have been the victim of abuse or a violent crime. We may get stuck in an elevator on our way to the office. Each of these events is traumatic. It is vital that you learn how to overcome past trauma, regardless of how long ago it happened, so that you can work toward a brighter future for yourself and your family.
How and when we deal with the event can affect how well we cope afterwards. Getting back to normal after a trauma may require the assistance of a professional, who can guide you through recovering from the event using proven psychotherapy techniques.
Symptoms of Trauma
When you experience a trauma, you might not immediately recognize the symptoms it can cause. You may convince yourself that you are “over it” and are ready to move on with your life. Depending on the severity of the trauma, especially on how much of an impact it did have on your life at the time, you may experience recurring symptoms without even knowing they are related to the traumatic event.
Research has shown that trauma can trigger emotional and physical reactions that can actually make you more prone to health conditions such as heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
Emotional and psychological symptoms of trauma can also include:
- Confusion, difficulty concentrating
- Anger, irritability, mood swings
- Anxiety and fear
- Withdrawing from others
- Feeling disconnected or numb
There can also be a variety of other physical symptoms, including:
- Insomnia or nightmares
- Fatigue
- Being startled easily
- Difficulty concentrating
- Edginess and agitation
The Importance of Self Care
Overcoming past trauma and moving toward a brighter future involves not only recovering mentally and emotionally, but also physically. A trauma can drain your physical health, as it disrupts your body’s natural equilibrium. It is important to take care of yourself as you work through the symptoms of trauma:
- Exercise: Walk, run, swim, or do some other type of active exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise can help you burn off adrenaline and release endorphins that are designed to make you feel better physically. When you feel better physically, you are better equipped with work toward a brighter future emotionally and mentally.
- Sleep: Try to get into a regular sleep pattern so your body can rest and recover, particularly if you’ve been through a physical trauma.
- Avoid self-medicating with alcohol or drugs: Becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs to get through the day can actually worsen the effects of your past trauma.
Seek the Support of Others
Whether your past trauma seemed minor or was a major event in your life, quite often you need the support of others to deal with the symptoms and move on to a better future. Support groups are helpful, as they allow you to talk openly about the details of the event and about whether you are still struggling to manage its effects. Talk therapy, a form of psychotherapy, has also been found to be very helpful for people who are struggling to overcome past trauma.
Getting Help, Moving Forward
Trauma can affect your life in many ways you may not realize. You may feel as though you have sufficiently dealt with a past trauma, but then something that you normally do, such as driving to work or riding in an elevator, will trigger you to mentally revert to the traumatic event. You can get help to focus on a brighter future.
Counseling will teach you how to handle the ongoing impact of trauma in your life. You will learn how to cope with life’s challenges, including those created by the memory of trauma, in a more constructive way. Psychotherapy, in particular, is helpful when you have experienced a traumatic or life-changing event such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or the end of an intimate relationship.
Psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy that gives you a judgment-free zone to discuss your personal issues, some of which may be intensely personal or sensitive. A licensed psychotherapist can help you move forward by providing the tools you need to process complex or difficult emotions and achieve greater satisfaction with your identity.
If You’re Ready to Move Toward a Brighter Future, Contact R&A Therapeutic Partners Today
At R&A Therapeutic Partners, we help people find the path for overcoming past trauma that works best for them. Your needs are unique to you, and we make it our priority to identify the tools that keep you engaged and thriving in your recovery. We encourage you to contact the Miami interventionists Raymond Estefania and Ana Moreno to find out the services R&A Therapeutic Partners offers. Call us at 786-452-7352 to schedule your appointment.
At R&A Therapeutic Partners Raymond Estefania and Ana Moreno specialize in substance use and mental health disorder evaluations, treatment, intervention and therapeutic/educational consulting for clients throughout the greater South Florida area, as well as nationally and internationally. For more resources and information please visit Therapeutic-Partners.com or on Facebook.
