If we are aware that trauma is a wound/hurt that we carry within us, then we can observe and recognize the various symptoms that accompany such an experience.
Please note that the following symptoms may indicate health problems that require medical attention and please do not underestimate them as trauma.
Possible signs of experiencing an active trauma/hurt and unconscious attempts to cope with this experience can be noticed in three areas of our life:
Mental realm:
attention deficit disorder
compulsion to replay a difficult event in your mind
imagining a different scenario than what actually happened
thoughts jumping from the past to an imagined unfavourable future
difficulty focusing on what is happening in the present moment
feeling detached from reality
fantasizing
drowsiness, mental fog
Emotional realm:
disbelief that something like this happened
sense of injustice: why me?
guilt: what did I do wrong?
great sadness
anger, rage: how can it be?!
feeling hurt
powerlessness, helplessness
frustration
regret, resentment
resignation
longing, nostalgia
desire to acknowledge harm
undermining the sense of security
lowered sense of worth
dislike of self or life
Physical realm:
Body
low energy levels, including compulsion to act
overstimulation
trembling
sleep disorders
eating disorders
chronic fatigue
inability to relax and regenerate
Behaviour
obsessiveness (in exercise, diet, beautification, workaholism, shopaholism, etc.)
excessive use of social media
compulsions (binge eating, binge drinking, binge TV watching)
procrastination
isolation, withdrawal from social life
escape into unsupportive contacts or activities
If you recognize the above symptoms in yourself and they are a big part of your life or are bothering you, it is worth seeking help. It doesn't have to be therapy right away, it can be self-reflection, an honest conversation with a good friend, a good book, a podcast or informative recordings.
The most important thing is that you realize that you need help and deserve support.
You have the right to feel better. You deserve a better quality of life.
Below is a link to the video (with English subtitles) in which I discuss selected symptoms of active trauma in more detail:
Translated by: Galina Tarasiuk, Marta Ferenc.
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