4 Steps to Take to Begin Healing From Trauma

When you or someone you know goes through a traumatic experience, it can feel difficult to move on or move past the event. For some, it can feel like this moment is a permanent fixture in their life. Fortunately, there are ways to safely and effectively move forward after a traumatic experience.

It’s important to note that there’s no one way to heal, and the journey can differ for everyone. The journey of two people who experienced the same trauma can and most likely will look completely different.

Understanding the Stages of Trauma

Before you can move on from emotional trauma, it’s important to note the different parts of a traumatic experience. These include:

Traumatic event

This will be the event that has caused a person emotional, physical, or mental harm. It can have happened once, been ongoing, or recurring.

Experience for the victim

As mentioned above, two people can experience the same traumatic event differently. This is based on many factors, including their history, current life situation, and overall mental health.

Impact after the event

This is the event's impact on your emotional, physical, and mental health. These signs and symptoms can occur days, weeks, or even months after the trauma.

How to move on and move past trauma

Before starting the healing process, it’s important to acknowledge what happened. It can be difficult, but realizing and accepting the event is important. It’s important not to act as if nothing happened, and if you are in denial without acknowledging the situation, you will not be able to begin healing.

It’s okay to need time to reach the step, and it will be uncomfortable, but it will be worth it once you can acknowledge what occurred. Once you accept and understand what’s happened, you can begin the healing process, including the following steps.

1. Focus on your well-being.

This can include getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night, working with a doctor or nutritionist on a meal plan to ensure you eat a well-balanced diet, and focusing on emotional and mental self-care. This can be done by doing things that bring you joy or enable you to relax, such as spending time with friends and family, reading, practicing yoga, or doing other things that bring enjoyment.

2. Return to your routine.

Traumas will inevitably impact your life. It’s important to think about how your life was before the traumatic event. Things to review and consider incorporating back into everyday life include old routines, schedules, and people you spent time with. Returning to what feels normal can help someone feel secure and safe while maintaining healing progress.

Let the process take its time.

It takes time to heal after a traumatic event. When beginning the healing journey, it's important not to rush the process. It's just as important to ensure you're not ignoring any possible symptoms or problems or taking shortcuts. The healing process is not only for the trauma victim but also for those closest to them. In those cases, loved ones should show patience and understanding throughout this time.

Be open to support and help from others.

For some, a form of coping is to self-isolate and deal with things on their own. Pushing away support can be a negative reaction for those coping with trauma. It’s okay to ask for help and accept that those closest to you will want to help you get through it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a traumatic event, don't hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about trauma therapy.