Trauma is always a complex subject to talk about with others. Not only can it re-trigger past experiences, but it also brings up pain that has not been fully processed. Although it is best to talk about trauma with a professional who can help you resolve your pain and brainstorm practical ways to move forward in your life, it is essential to talk about your trauma with others.
For example, if you find you are being re-triggered by past traumatic events and the recent event that’s triggering you is causing you to project your pain and hurt onto others, it is essential to talk about that with them.
Here are three reasons why it is necessary to talk about your trauma:
Talking about your trauma releases pain
The more you talk about your pain with people who are supportive of you and encourage you, the more it helps you release the pain of what happened. Many times, people who have experienced traumatic events believe they are the only ones who have suffered it. They may often wonder why God allowed that traumatic event to happen to them and not to anyone else around them.
However, when you begin to talk to others about your pain, not only does it release the past pain you’ve been holding on to, but it also allows others to share their traumatic events with you as well. You may be surprised at how many people have suffered similar traumatic events and can be there to support you during your time of need. However, it is easy to ignore this reality if you don’t ever talk about the pain.
It helps you gain compassion
Hearing other people’s stories about trauma also helps you gain compassion for others. This is especially true if you hear a person’s story of someone who tends to be standoffish, cold, or rude. When you hear that that person is dealing with the same trauma you have come out of, you gain compassion for them because you know you can relate to their story. Compassion is essential when it comes to traumatic events.
By sharing your trauma with others, you can share your compassion with someone hurting from traumatic events and gain other people’s compassion for you. It’s mutually beneficial for everyone to share their traumatic events so that they can move forward in their lives, and true healing can occur.
It initiates healing
People who keep their traumatic events inside never fully get the healing they deserve. A wound never gets fully healed if bandages or clothing constantly cover it. In the same way, trauma is never fully healed unless it is exposed. When you tell people about your traumatic events, it helps you to relive the event, which can be painful, but the more you talk about it, the more desensitized you become to the trauma of it.
It also helps you come to terms with the reality of what happened to you. When people try to cover up their traumatic events, it is easy to rationalize that it never happened to them the way they remember, or it wasn’t traumatic at all. However, many people go through difficult experiences in traumatic events and never speak about them, and never get the complete healing they need. However, this is not helpful for them because it spills into other areas of their lives.
When a person gets angry or has a sudden outburst of tears at a movie with a particularly violent plot, loved ones may not understand why this is occurring. However, the person who has spoken entirely about their trauma is not easily triggered by current events and can also talk frankly about what happened to them and how they’ve moved on in the healing process.
Christian Trauma Therapy in Stone Oak, Texas
Trauma is challenging to discuss openly. However, when a person chooses to be bold and talk about the events, not only does it bring healing to them, but they can also receive compassion from supportive loved ones and gain empathy for others who’ve shared a similar experience.
Contact our office today at Stone Oak Christian Counseling in Texas if you would like to discuss your trauma with a Christian counselor in Stone Oak, Texas. They can be a part of your first steps in recovery.
Photo:
“Bregagh Road”, Courtesy of Colin + Meg, Unsplash.com, Unsplash+ License
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Michelle Lazurek: Author
Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award winning author, speaker, pastor's wife and mother. She is a regular contributor for ibelieve.com and crosswalk.com and is a movie review...
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