Navigating grief is a complex and deeply personal journey. This section explores various healing strategies beyond conventional approaches to support individuals through grieving.
Reminding them of the traumatic event should not be done by avoiding people, places, or activities.
Acute Trauma
Survivors who are experiencing acute trauma may feel a range of emotions and can experience physical symptoms after a traumatic event. They may also develop mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The main categories of trauma are acute, chronic, and complex. Acute trauma comes from a single traumatic event, while chronic trauma is the result of repeated traumatic events and can be complicated by issues such as intergenerational trauma.
Regardless of the category, a person experiencing trauma can benefit from supportive trauma relief services Mooresville, NC. These include psychotherapy approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and coping tools that help survivors learn to process traumatic experiences while turning off the recurring negative thoughts that can lead to self-blame. They can also practice healthy lifestyle changes, including regular physical exercise, eating balanced meals, getting enough sleep, spending time with loved ones, meditating, journaling, and developing creative outlets. It is significant to remember that a survivor’s reaction to trauma and degree of recovery will differ substantially.
Chronic Trauma
While acute trauma often results from a single event, chronic trauma occurs when someone is exposed to repeated or prolonged stressful situations. It can include long-term physical or sexual abuse, living in a war zone, or other circumstances where people are constantly being put into dangerous situations. Chronic trauma can lead to a variety of symptoms, including emotional exhaustion, irritability, and difficulty regulating emotions. It can also be associated with several mental health issues like mood disorders and personality problems.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are two helpful therapeutic modalities for individuals recovering from chronic trauma. In EMDR psychotherapy, patients are asked to face their distressing recollections of the traumatic event one at a time in a secure setting. The therapist will identify negative thought patterns that might be causing the negative symptoms while also offering assistance in coping with any upsetting emotions.
Understanding
Many different emotions, such as rage, fear, sadness, and depression, can be brought on by trauma. Some trauma survivors struggle to express these feelings, primarily if they associate them with their traumatic experiences. Other survivors deny their feelings, believing that telling them will make them feel out of control or go wild (as in the case of someone who tried to crash a toy airplane into a building after seeing images on TV of the 9/11 terrorist attacks).
Therapists can help you work through these reactions by helping you face your traumatic experiences and challenging any conclusions that you may have drawn from them (for instance, that you’re to blame for what happened or that it will happen again). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy can also include psychological techniques like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which have been shown to reduce symptoms of PTSD. Your therapist can also help you connect with others who have gone through similar experiences.
Empowerment
Empowerment is an essential concept in trauma recovery. It focuses on helping people feel more in control of their lives and emotions, reclaiming power stripped from them by trauma. Empowerment is a multilevel process that involves individuals, groups, and communities. It can be used to help individuals become more confident and competent, as well as to tackle broader issues like social injustices and oppressive systems.
For example, some interviewees highlighted that empowering survivors by acknowledging their coping mechanisms helps them recognize the strength of their resources and abilities. It helps them regain confidence in their ability to deal with challenges and ensures that staff members treat them as empowered individuals rather than victims.
Similarly, recruiting survivor volunteers to assist with services provides a sense of community for struggling people and reinforces the message that they are not alone. Empowerment is crucial to navigating grief and ensuring the path to recovery is as smooth as possible.
