When working with trauma, it is very important to remember what recovery is. Often it is not one treatment, therapy or workshop. Recovery is a journey of self-discovery towards homeostasis and emotional well-being.
How do we know that we are traveling in the right direction? What are the signs of recovery?
We have more and more moments where we experience the following.
Mental realm:
mental acuity
clarity
the ability to focus on a selected task
contact with the present moment, i.e. our thoughts are about things that are important at the moment
assessment of current events, based on facts
decisiveness
contact with our needs, our wants and ways to fulfill them
grounded, down to earth ideas and plans
benevolent wit
Emotional realm:
feeling all our emotions
we are able to accommodate and understand emotions as descriptive signals from the environment
we know how to deal with difficult emotions
a sense of security
a sense of belonging
a sense of authenticity
curiosity
enthusiasm
Self-Esteem
a sense of trust
feeling of being enough
a sense of agency
equanimity
joy
freedom
Physical realm:
Body:
good energy level
vitality
good sleep
quick regeneration
good work of the immune system
good work of the endocrine and digestive systems
enjoyment of physical exercise
flexibility, freedom of movement
natural care for the body and its needs
Behaviour:
we are happy to work
daily routine is ok, not irritating
we have a social life
we have a supportive circle of friends
we spend time on hobbies and interests
we are open to creativity and spontaneity
we allow ourselves to be inspired and innovative
we have the courage to do something new
we give ourselves time to pause and rest
This list is very general. Rather, it is a clue, a direction. Each of us can add our own subjective concepts, states, feelings and experiences that are associated with mental health and well-being.
If you manage to recognize even brief moments of such good sensations and feelings in yourself, it is a very good sign. It is worth noticing them, enjoying and celebrating them.
And I wish myself and you more and more of such amazing moments, qualities and experiences!
Below is a link to the video (with English subtitles) in which I discuss signs of recovery from traumatic experiences in more detail:
Translated by: Galina Tarasiuk, Marta Ferenc.
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