Remember To Keep Track Of How You Feel
Once you learn how to recognize and identify your emotions, try keeping track of it. You could use a journal or download an emotion tracking app on your phone.
Every few hours, write down where you are, what youre doing, and how youre feeling at that moment. Writing it down could help you build a habit of tuning in with your emotions so that one day you can do it effortlessly and automatically.
Also, you would be able to go back and take a look at your entries, which would allow you to see a possible trend. Maybe you find out that certain people or situations consistently make you feel down. Is there something you can do to make those instances more bearable? Or, you may notice that youve been exceptionally cheerful during the last week. What is it that made you so happy? And how can you get more of it?
The Importance Of Healing Order
Now you probably understand why the business coaching, the self-help books, the mindset work, the other programs youve tried, the affirmations, vision boards, et al. just havent worked long-term to help you level up.
Please leave a comment to tell me if you had a light bulb moment.
Remember that if our body isnt in a calm enough state to receive the work were doing itll stay in survival mode.
We cannot THRIVE in SURVIVAL mode. Its an oxymoron.
We cannot learn to calm our bodies and REGULATE our feelings unless we first UNDERSTAND what those feelings are.
So our first order of business, without question, should be to reacquaint with our bodys internal sensationsso that were able to exert control over them and consequently, the growth of our businesses.
Make sense?
What If You Are Blocked From Feeling Your Emotions Or Pain
If you can access inner pain, then you can give stories to this pain and witness it.
But what if you are blocked from feeling this pain? What if you are not conscious of this pain in the first place? How can you heal from childhood trauma if you cannot work with it?
A long time ago I had very little connection to my body. I had no clue what emotions were or even that I was carrying pain in my body subconsciously!
How can you do Inner Child work if you cannot even feel your body, let alone pain?
Lets now transition to a basic three-step framework you can use to start connecting to your body and your emotions and begin the healing journey.
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Write Down Why You Want To Binge Before You Do
This is the one technique that will stop your compulsion and give relief immediately.
Normally you get swept up in a binge or food cravings. But when you write down before you eat, its like you are pausing and taking out a magnifying glass.
Try to see if you can write down what you are feeling, in your body, before you binge.
You might think you screwed up or you better eat this cookie before you start a diet tomorrow. But those are thoughts, not feelings.
What do you feel in your body? Are you feeling nervous?
If you are wanting to binge, then deep down there are painful, unpleasant bodily sensations that are present.
Once you have written down the unpleasant sensations you feel before a binge, then you can begin the Inner Child work.
How To Heal From Your Own Childhood Trauma
If you experienced trauma as a child and still have some healing to do, there are several actions you can take to help you better cope. Among them are:
- Spending time with people in your life who are supportive
- Keeping a consistent eating and sleeping schedule
Talking to a mental health professional can also help you start to heal. Therapeutic options may include a number of trauma-informed therapies, such as cognitive processing therapy , trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy , eye movement desensitization and reprocessing , and acceptance and commitment therapy , among others.
You may also want to reach out to reputable organizations able to help childhood trauma survivors. The Disaster Distress Helpline offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is one option. If you prefer to communicate via text, the Crisis Text Line is another.
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How To Heal From Childhood Trauma: Closing Thoughts
As youve seenand has probably been proven by your own healing journeythere is no one way to heal childhood trauma. Just as the adverse childhood experiences shaping our behavior patterns were complex, our healing journey is often just as multi-faceted.
I know from personal experience that the road to resilience is often lonely, intensely frustrating, and very isolating. So having someone supportive in your corner is one of the most important components of a successful healing plan.
If youre interested in exploring gentle yet powerful, time-efficient practices to start or accelerate your healing, wont you consider TRANSCEND? I promise to be the skilled, compassionate partner and healing mentor you need to guide you through the maze of endless healing options, using a proven roadmap to light your way.
For details, inclusions, supporting science, and testimonials from clients, explore the TRANSCEND healing-coaching workshop.
Betterhelp Can Help You Heal
At BetterHelp, the licensed online counselors have worked with people who have experienced childhood trauma and helped them work through their painful memories of traumatic events by providing trauma-informed care. After talking through the wounds of childhood abuse, clients have found it easier to live fulfilling lives.
If you prefer traditional, face-to-face therapy, speaking with a licensed mental health professional is an effective method for recovering from childhood trauma, to prevent later issues with substance abuse and mental and physical health problems
Unhealed psychological trauma can often turn into complex trauma without the benefit of mental health services intervention. In some cases, many other children and adolescents have experienced psychological trauma by witnessing a loved ones abuse. Even as a witness to a traumatic event, children are still susceptible to the effects of traumatic stress due to the social-emotional effects of vicarious abuse. Vicarious abuse occurs when a child can suffer similar effects as the victim by witnessing any form of domestic violence, whether its sexual abuse, physical abuse, and familial substance abuse. Children who grew up witnessing community violence like gang violence, violence between family members, or other group violence may exhibit the same symptoms of childhood abuse and neglect as if they had experienced the community violence and abuse directly.
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How Do I Detox From Old Emotions
4 Ways to Detox Emotionally Set aside some time to focus on your own well-being. Consider taking a trip, even if its just for one night, to spend time alone and away from the stressors that are causing you to feel overwhelmed. Change the atmosphere in your home. Pick up some healthy pastimes or hobbies. To Manage Anxiety, Consult a Healthcare Professional.
Can I Find Healing From Childhood Trauma
Yes, you can. Healing from childhood trauma can happen.
If you are looking to begin your healing journey with licensed therapists in San Jose & Campbell, Santa Clara, CA, contact us at Uplift Psychology Group today.
With teletherapy options to stay in touch no matter the circumstance, we are here to walk with you throughout your healing process. You can also schedule a first, free consultation with one of our therapists here.
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How Do You Build Self
If youre healing from childhood trauma, heres how to boost your self-esteem: 1-Get rid of negative self-talk to boost your self-esteem. 2-Look into your history to figure out what youre up against. 3-Accept yourself for who you are and how you feel. 4-Dont put the responsibility on yourself. 5-Learn to look for yourself. 6-Take back command of your life.
Imagine What Your Younger Self Or A Loved One Would Be Feeling And Needing If They Felt What You Are Feeling Now Imagine Their Pain
Try to recall a time you were younger and felt what you are feeling now.
If you are currently feeling nervous or upset before a binge, then try to recall a time when you were younger when you were feeling nervous or upset.
You can do this for any emotion, like despair, stress, or anger too.
For me, I can go back in time and imagine myself when I was say 8 or 9 years old.
I can imagine my younger self feeling sad, stressed or despairing.
Form a picture in your mind of you when you were younger, feeling the way you do now.
Now imagine this person is sitting in front of you:
You, when you were young, are now sitting right in front of you.
This younger version of yourself is feeling exactly how you are in the moments before a binge.
Begin talking to this image in your mind, and let it speak back to you. Use your gut intuition here.
You can start by asking your inner child questions :
- It seems like you are feeling anxious right now, is this correct?
- What would you like right now little one?
- Is there anything you need sweetie?
Then simply listen to your imagination. How does this younger version of yourself respond to your curious, empathetic questions?
If this image in your mind doesnt respond the way youd like it to, thats ok. Be patient.
You are rebuilding a relationship with your youngest self. It takes time to build trust.
Your Inner Child has lost trust in you because youve ignored its needs for so long.
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Can A Bad Childhood Cause Mental Illness
Early life adversity is a major risk factor for the development of psychological and behavioural problems later in life. Higher rates of depression, suicidality, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and aggressive behaviour have been reported in adults who experienced childhood maltreatment.
What Is Emotional And Psychological Trauma
Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that wont go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people.
Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesnt involve physical harm. Its not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized.
Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by:
- One-time events, such as an accident, injury, or a violent attack, especially if it was unexpected or happened in childhood.
- Ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, battling a life-threatening illness or experiencing traumatic events that occur repeatedly, such as bullying, domestic violence, or childhood neglect.
- Commonly overlooked causes, such as surgery , the sudden death of someone close, the breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, especially if someone was deliberately cruel.
Affordable Online Therapy
- Domestic violence
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Before And After The Effects Of Childhood Trauma
The way a person was before the sexual abuse occurred and the person they became due to the abuse are two very different people.
Children who have experienced sexual abuse, for example, tend to become withdrawn and isolated.
These personality traits are sometimes confused with the child becoming a moody teenager, and in some instances, children get criticized for the sudden changes to their emotions and mood.
Adults rarely question why their childs mood has changed so dramatically, or why they might be acting out this adds another dimension to the psychological trauma experienced by so many abuse survivors.
The Importance Of Healing Intention
Now you understand why, when were talking about healing from chronic trauma, we have to use strategies that make sense for our brains and bodys current state.
Thats easier to do, now that we understand what that is!
So the intention set toward our healing is important.
Meaning if we now understand, which we do, that our physiology has changed on a hormonal level, a structural level , a functional level , and a DNA level then we can intentionally focus our healing tools toward those areas.
But we also have to take into account the complexity of the job.
Because trauma has changed us in multifaceted ways, we have to use multifaceted strategies to reset ourselves and heal.
With these things in mind, lets get on to the healing work.
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Self Regulate Your Nervous System
One thing that helps people to stop any future trauma from manifesting is to regulate their own nervous system. You can do this through a daily committed meditation practice and also through vagus nerve stimulation.
Vagus nerve stimulation is very simple to do. I start doing it sitting upright but you can also do this laying down. Try both and see which is easiest for you to do. I keep my head pointing forwards and turn my eyes as far left as I can. I then wait until I get either a yawn or a swallow response. Then I do it for the right side. Once you have done this you have reset your vagus nerve.
Offer Words Of Kind Affirmations And Acknowledgment To Your Inner Child
Be sure to name and acknowledge the emotions your Inner Child is experiencing.
I know this may seem crazy, because youre talking to a mental image right now, but this mental image comes from within you.
Its you. Its part of you.
Say to your Inner Child:
- Its ok to feel upset, anxious, etc
- I see that youre feeling sad right now. Its ok to feel that way.
- This is really uncomfortable for you right now. Thats a bummer. Lets just try to stay calm and see how we feel in 5 minutes.
- You are beautiful and strong
- Im sorry I wasnt there for you in the past, but I didnt know how, and now I am there for you.
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How Do You Treat Childhood Trauma Without Therapy
Three ways to overcoming childhood trauma Recognize the trauma that has occurred. This particular childhood event must be recognized as trauma by the adult. Allow yourself to be patient. When it comes to people who have had a terrible upbringing, self-criticism and guilt are highly typical. Dont be afraid to ask for assistance.
Adults Should Be Aware Of The Following Symptoms Of Trauma:
-
Suicidal thoughts
For adults, childhood trauma can manifest itself in numerous ways. Trauma can be so severe that you develop post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. PTSD is triggered by a scary event that you either witnessed or experienced. Many people who witness or experience a terrifying event may temporarily find it difficult to cope however, time and self-care can make your mental health condition better. If the symptoms are long-lasting and you feel like your emotions are interfering in your daily life, you may have PTSD and should seek the help of a mental health professional.
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How Can I Heal Trauma Naturally
Emotional Trauma Healing in 5 Easy Steps Be Ready to Heal. On the path to recovery, your desire to feel well might be your most powerful friend. Accept Help From Family and Friends. Seek the help of qualified professionals. Practice mindfulness and meditation. Make movement a part of your daily routine.
What Is The Inner Child How Do You Work With The Inner Child
The Inner Child is an energetic part of our being that has been, or still is, wounded from childhood trauma.
Inner Child work is where you give stories, characters and context to your inner wounds based on your personal memories.
Inner Child work prepares you to Witness your inner pain directly, and this witnessing then automatically begins healing your pain and your relationship with food.
Please note: you must actually write words out onto paper or an app. Writing is the activity that re-organizes your brain, not thinking. Its the writing, the expressing of whats inside, and translating this experience into the physical world through text, that is healing.
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Reacquaint With The Authentic You
As trauma-affected entrepreneurs, our goals, desires, and even some of our passions were almost certainly
What does that even mean, exactly?
Well, as an example, we might have very uninspiring or limited goals. We avoid shooting too high under the guise of being realistic.
Or the things we think we like to do are probably just habits or affinities we learned or adopted from someone else.
And the way we feel about ourselves has probably been shaped based on how we were treated as a youth, or even how we were labeled or directly told that we were.
Therefore, weve become an adult composite of our experiences and everything weve been taught, whether directly/consciously or unconsciously.
Product of our environment, for real!
So then, once we start to heal, we need to allow ourselves to get out from under that to fully FLOURISH. And in order to do that, we have to get in touch with who we truly are at our core, what WE actually love, and what WE want for our businesses and lives.
To DIY, an incredible guide from J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly compiled 12 high-quality exercises to help you discover purpose and passion.
Or, in TRANSCEND, I use an invigorating guided process we do together that helps you reconnect to your purpose, also incorporating strategies from the next stage, Relax, to give you a subconscious boost. I love combining several strategies to make healing tools as effective as possible for the time spent.
