As a seizure, surgery, and serial sexual violence survivor, I seek to educate others on comprehensive and culturally-affirming healing models that address the whole person within a social, political, cultural, and economic community context. Please, review the information below and use whatever you may find helpful in your own healing journey from chronic trauma.
Note that I am not a physician or clinician and the information in this blog post should not be used in replacement for professional medical care. The tools below were gathered through lived experience and a peer-to-peer support network.
Read more about my healing journey from chronic trauma by becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack.
What is trauma?
Trauma can be defined as painful event/s that occurred in someone’s life, as well as the lasting consequences from them. Difficult experiences or environments like car collisions, violence, injustice, neglect, war, natural disasters, illness, death of a loved one, etc. can interrupt or define one’s life and cause consequences that can be distracting at best and debilitating at worst. From health to relationship issues and economic to social problems, trauma can shape or change someone long-term. Whether you identify as a victim, a survivor, or both, learning how to heal from trauma may be imperative to enjoying life and finding fulfillment. The healing journey from all types of harm, especially chronic trauma, looks and feels different for everyone.
What is chronic trauma?
Single-incident trauma, defined by Dr. Judith Herman, MD, is one event that can have negative impacts on a person’s life. Examples include a sexual assault, a car accident, witnessing a violent act, or the sudden loss of a loved one. It can cause acute stress, which are symptoms that last less than one month, or Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, symptoms that last longer than one month. Complex-trauma, or chronic trauma, includes prolonged exposure to traumatic events like domestic violence, war, racism, sexism, etc. This type of trauma causes Complex-PTSD, which includes all the symptoms of PTSD, as well as other long-term consequences from chronic trauma. However, I choose to say Complex-Trauma Condition because I continue to experience trauma as a member of a number of historically marginalized populations, and I prefer to never refer to myself as "disordered."
How to heal from trauma
A number of modalities to manage or heal trauma exist. A multidisciplinary model that addresses the mind, body, and spirit, as well as engages in community connection, can be a comprehensive approach to healing the numerous consequences of trauma. While inpatient services within a hospital setting provide a team of physicians to treat the whole person, a holistic outpatient model must be developed by the victim or survivor. Here is one approach that can be used to guide victims and survivors in receiving the support they need during their healing journey.
Neurological Support
Trauma can have a negative impact on brain development and function. It has significant consequences specifically on the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, which regulate stress responses, memory, attention, and executive functioning. Sometimes the brain can heal through neuroplasticity, while other times symptoms need to be managed due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Understanding trauma's impact on the brain can encourage self-compassion throughout the healing journey. Here are a few questions to guide your recovery process:
How did the trauma impact your brain? How can you work with neurologists and other specialists to create brain plasticity, heal the brain, or manage neurological symptoms?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma of the brain:
Physiological Support
Trauma can have temporary or permanent consequences to the victim or survivor’s physical health. From short-term problems like bruising and broken bones to long-term health challenges such as autoimmune diseases and heart disease, chronic stress can cause numerous health conditions, as well as psychosomatic symptoms, that may require specific treatments to heal or manage. There are also a number of modalities that support physiological wellness after trauma. Here are a few questions to ask to support your physiological healing journey:
How did the trauma impact your body? How can you engage professional support to end cycles of chronic pain, release the impacts of trauma stored in the body, and encourage health and wellness? How can you accept the irreparable consequences trauma may have had on your body and find meaning in life?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma of the body:
Psychological Support
Trauma can impact your self-perceptions, as well as your understanding of others and the world. It can direct behavioral patterns, restrict potential, and alter a sense of purpose. Receiving psychological support can help to transform your self-perception and the ways you relate to others, as well as improve your behaviors so you can be who you want to be as opposed to acting in accordance with how the trauma shaped you. Here are a few questions to guide your psychological healing journey:
How did the trauma impact the way that you think about yourself? How did it influence your worldview or how you relate to others? How did it shape your behavioral patterns? How can you heal from trauma of the psyche?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma of the psyche:
Social Support
Often trauma happens interpersonally — or within intimate environments between two people like friends, intimate partners, or family relationships. Social support can teach chronic trauma victims or survivors to set boundaries with people, as well as engage with those who can hold space for safe relating. Here are a few questions to support your social or communal healing journey:
How did the trauma influence how you relate to others? Did it cause patterns of isolation? Does projection keep you from engaging with others? Do you feel others can’t understand you due to the lack of a trauma-informed and empathetic society?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma due to lack of social support:
Institutional Support
Social institutions like government services, law enforcement, religious organizations, the criminal legal system, welfare programs, immigration, the medical system, employers, non-profits, etc. are supposed to be built to support people. However, trauma can occur by these systems due to racism, sexism, genderism, ageism, sizeism, adultism, transphobia, homophobia, and xenophobia. Ask yourself these questions to help you manage your healing journey from institutional harms:
Which institutions have harmed you? Which institutions can help you to heal? If you can’t find institutional support in your context, do community programs exist near you to offer help instead?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma from institutional betrayal:
Spiritual Support
Spiritual sources of support can be helpful or harmful for individuals. In some cases, religious and spiritual traditions can inspire confidence and cultivate meaning, while in others they can serve as sources of oppression. Finding spiritual modalities that connect you more deeply to yourself, nature, and other sources of love can help to heal trauma, especially spiritual and religious abuse. Here are a few questions to guide your healing journey:
How did the spiritual trauma impact your worldview, sense of love, values, mission, or understanding of a spiritual presence? Is your spiritual experience promoting healing or the continued perpetration of harm in you and others?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma due to religious and spiritual abuse:
Creative Support
Creative exercises like performance, painting, writing, sculpting, and drawing can engage all sides of the brain and invite insights that help to heal trauma. However, engaging in the arts is often inaccessible due to the high cost of classes and materials. While some may feel comfortable with creative modalities, others may be doing it for the very first time. If you’re new to creative expression, focus on process-based activities that center the enjoyment of the experience, as opposed to achieving a final or perfect product. Surround yourself with others who are also learning to normalize the process. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to direct your creative healing journey:
Were you able to explore your creative side throughout your life? If so, how can you continue to prioritize your creative interests? If not, how can you make time for creative expressions that spark your curiosity?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma with creative expression:
Nature Support
Environmental factors can contribute to health, safety, and healing, as well as cause harm. Some are raised close to nature with clean water, fresh air, and easy access to trails. While the homes of others may have been situated in areas with high pollution and little access to public parks and natural or recreational areas. Spending time in nature can help heal trauma by increasing connection with the earth and decreasing stress by lowering cortisol levels. If you enjoy the company of animals, spending time with them can also be a source of healing. Here are some questions to guide your healing journey with nature:
How did or does your environment in the past or present cause harm or help you to heal? How can you place yourself in environments that promote your healing like gardens, parks, forests, lakes, oceans, etc.? How can you surround yourself or visit animals that make you feel more connected?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma with nature:
Economic Support
Economic circumstances could have provided great opportunities for some, while restricting or harming others. The medical system especially remains unaffordable and inaccessible to many due to the high costs of care. Often alternative forms of medicine that some victims and survivors prefer remain uncovered by insurance and must be paid for out of pocket. Here are a few questions to consider to guide your healing journey around economic circumstances:
Did I or do I have the economic resources I need to meet my wants and needs? Can I afford the necessary costs of care to pursue recovery? If not, how can I engage with community resources to support my healing journey?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma with more economic support:
Sexual Support
Sexual safety is imperative to living a healthy life. However, so many people have experienced sexual harm, oppression, suppression, or repression. Learning and practicing safe relating with others in all interpersonal contexts including sexual activity can promote wellbeing. Here are a few questions to guide your healing journey to develop healthy sexuality:
Were you taught the appropriate terminology for your body? Were you encouraged to explore your body safely? Were you taught how to communicate consent or set boundaries? Were your consent and boundaries respected by others? If not, how can you restore your relationship with yourself and surround yourself with others who respect your sexual expression?
Here are a few modalities to learn how to heal from trauma after sexual abuse:
How to embrace your healing journey
Sometimes difficult life experiences are quickly processed and integrated into the life of the victim or survivor. While other times, the traumatic instance/s may require specific professional and personal support to help a person or community recover. In some cases, trauma can impact a person’s life indefinitely, requiring long-term management of the chronic trauma.
People’s healing journeys can be different depending on a variety of circumstances like:
What type of trauma occurred
How many times the event occurred
Other harms or privileges due to cultural, social, and political context
The accessibility and affordability of healing resources
The ability to connect to community
Economic resources and time availability
Although a number of healing modalities exist to address trauma, there is no guarantee that symptoms will be alleviated. Nor are healing journeys as simple as linear, step-by-step processes that can be followed. Embracing healing as a journey and surrounding oneself with communities of care can help victims and survivors of trauma to approach recovery as a lifestyle and enjoy life as much as possible within the healing experience.
Incest Survivor Recovery Resources
Head over to Incest AWARE to learn more about organizations working in the Incest AWAREness movement and supporting survivors and families.
Review my list of services if you'd like consulting support on anti-incest projects.
Comments