No one is ever prepared for a tragedy. In fact, most of us go through our lives believing that tragedies only happen to other people, and not to ourselves.
When people do experience a distressing or life-threatening event, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack, some may develop anxiety or trauma mental disorders. This leads to them affecting their personal relationships and even their own self-esteem.
Everyone deals with trauma in their own way. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to respond to a tragic or terrifying event. Don’t let anyone, not even yourself, tell you that you should respond in a certain way.
Having said that, here are some steps you can start with to begin to heal and regain control of your own life.
Accept Your Feelings
Ignoring your feelings of fear, shock, rage, terror, confusion, or guilt will only slow your recovery. At the moment, you may feel you must avoid your emotions. But, whether you accept or push them away, your feelings are real, and feeling them is necessary for healing. The thing is, even intense feelings will pass if you simply allow yourself to feel them.
Reframe Your Identity
After experiencing a traumatic event, it is common to feel helpless and out of control. To fully recover from the event, it is important that you eventually reframe your identity and challenge your feelings of helplessness. You can do this by taking action. Being proactive – even in small ways – will help you overcome feelings of fear and helplessness.
Consider volunteering for a cause that’s important to you. If that is too much of a time commitment, you could simply focus on helping a friend or neighbor. This will help you feel more powerful and in control of your environment.
Reach Out to Others
It is common for people to want to withdraw from loved ones and social activities following a tragic event, but connecting with others is necessary for recovery. Though you may not feel up to taking part in huge gatherings like you once did, a simple face-to-face conversation with a close friend or family can trigger hormones that relieve stress.
And also, you don’t need to talk about the event with your loved ones, just simply spending time with them will help you feel a little bit better. Of course, if you feel like you need to talk about your feelings, reach out to those whom you know love and support you. You may also want to look into support groups in your local area so you can be around others who know what you are going through.
And finally, you may want to consider seeking guidance from a professional therapist, like us, who is trained in helping people who have experienced a traumatic event. We can help you navigate your emotions as well as guide you on your journey back towards peace and joy. Get in touch with us by sending us a message here. You don’t have to suffer from your burden alone.
Dealing with the aftermath of trauma, mentally, is not easy. It will always take time, and that is okay. Slow progress is still progress. These 3 simple ways can be a great start for you to recover from trauma, but this does not mean that following them will surely help you already. Every person has their own phase and way of healing themselves. If you still find yourself lost, incomplete, and still in distress, this is the time you seek professional help. Please do not hesitate to message us. You are not alone, we can get through this together.
References:
L., A. (2021, January 26). How I learned to reclaim my identity. Medium. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://medium.com/the-sidebar/how-i-learned-to-reclaim-my-identity-3382f80bb2ea.
Melinda. (2021, July 15). How to cope with traumatic events. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/traumatic-stress.htm.
