The Biggest Gift You Can Give Yourself Is Emotional Healing
Life can be brutal. We are susceptible to stressful and disturbing events, known as traumatic events. Traumatic events can leave an emotional bruise. Any bruise is painful to the touch. When pain from a traumatic event becomes overwhelming impairing our ability to function, is when healing needs to take place. When we are not healed, we are left with the limiting beliefs and behaviors the wound has imparted on us. For example, you may have been betrayed by someone you love. Someone could have said something that you found offensive leaving you to feel angry and hurt to the core. You may have witnessed something horrific. Whatever it might have been, you are left with the pain and the emotional scarring that accompanied the event. This could have happened at any point in your life. With any trauma or event, we formulate ideas about what happened. These ideas are then processed and become beliefs. These beliefs are held as “truths” that we apply to any and all situations that arise in the future that remind of us of the original trauma. So, if you were betrayed, you may have formulated the belief that no one can be trusted. What needs to be understood is your traumatized self believes this to be absolutely true. You then live your life according to this belief.
Healing can be thought of as the process moving past the trauma allowing for an increase in our ability to function in the area that once caused us debilitating pain. Healing involves the realization that the emotions experienced from the initial trauma were and are in fact real. You did experience the pain of the initial event. By analyzing the traumatic event you will begin to unravel and peel away the “faulty beliefs” that perpetuate your pain and suffering. Over the course of therapy, you are able to see the trauma through the eyes of a newer more evolved you. You begin to realize that what happened to the person who was traumatized is not same person that you are right now. The person who was burned by betrayal or witnessed something horrific, was indeed hurt. You still may feel triggered by what you have healed from. It does mean that you are in a place emotionally where those old thoughts feelings and sensations are reinterpreted allowing you to function in an appropriate and free manner whether pain is present or not. You do not need to make the “bad feelings” go away or stop, because they may not. You will be able to handle those feelings from a place within you where they are no longer overwhelming, and shut you down.
If this sounds good to you, make an appointment with a therapist. You’ll be happy you did. It will have a positive impact on your life. You will learn to make a transition from your traumatized self to what is called your authentic self. Your authentic self will have the capability to handle the emotional impact of any emotionally charged situation, and allow you to seamlessly navigate all the storms life may throw at you.
© Michael Morris
