How to Overcome a Traumatic Experience
Collaborative Post
It was country music star Dolly Parton who once opined that “if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”, and this is an incredibly positive way of explaining the inevitability of life’s pitfalls and traumatic moments.
After all, we all experience sad and frustrating times throughout our lives, but for the most part, these are offset by happy memories and overwhelmingly positive experiences that shape our outlook.
However, there may still be a need to overcome trauma and life’s negative experiences. In this post, we’ll discuss the steps required to achieve this and return to a more positive state of mind.
Seek Both Practical and Emotional Advice
Not all traumatic experiences are created equal, so you’ll need to seek out specialist and actionable advice to help you cope in the aftermath.
This includes both practical and emotional guidance. For example, let’s say that you’ve been let down by your doctor and are suffering physically as a result, and want to pursue potential GP negligence claims. This will require you to initially consult with a legal expert to build your case and take practical steps towards getting your life back on track.
At the same time, you may need to liaise with a psychologist to help recognise and come to terms with your feelings.
Remember, repressing your denying such emotions will take a heavy toll over time while preventing you from overcoming the original trauma.
Talk Out Your Feelings
This leads us to an important observation – trying to sweep your feelings under the rug will only make you feel worse in the long-term, no matter how bad or painful they may be.
Ultimately, suppressing negative feelings delivers short-term gain at the expense of long-term pain, and this is something to be avoided at all costs.
In addition to helping you overcome your trauma, this may also enable you to understand the exact reasons behind your feelings and tackle the underlying triggers for your negative emotions.
You don’t have to talk to a counsellor or qualified psychologist either, as you can also confide your innermost thoughts and feelings with friends or loved ones. The key is that you trust them implicitly, and are comfortable in sharing the details of your experience.
Don’t Rush the Process
Like the various stages of grief, overcoming a traumatic experience should be considered as a process that can take time.
Similarly, the amount of time taken to overcome a traumatic event will vary from one person to another, ao it’s crucial that you don’t have any preconceived expectations and follow the process as diligently as possible.
Most importantly, don’t try to rush the process of overcoming trauma, particularly when it has been caused by a single, specific incident.
Make no mistake. Forcing yourself to get over the circumstances or recover will only delay you achieving your underlying objective. This could also cause more emotional pain over time and prevent you from living your life happily in the interim.
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
