Dear Fellow Trauma Survivors,
As I wrap up the final post in my 14-day Self-Reflection writing prompt challenge, I find I am prompted to write a letter to someone. I’ve chosen all of you.
I want you all to know how grateful I am to have you here on my site, sharing this journey with me. Also, how sorry I am that you relate to my story.
I hope you all take comfort in knowing we are in this together, each of us on our own path towards healing, our traumas individual and personal. The level of understanding and support that can be given and received within our community is only known by those of us here.
As you travel through all of my writing on this site, I hope you find the words you are looking for. My journey has been messy, it has been a series of ebbs and flows as I learn how to live with the memories and emotions of my past.
In sharing what I continue to lean through therapy, I hope it helps you gain perspective too; and I hope my moments of breakdown let you know we all have bad days.
I understand how hard it is to live as “high functioning” in a world that needs to see the blood to believe there is an injury. I understand what it feels like when real-life circumstance triggers trauma responses. Those moments when I literally feel my mind and body disconnecting while I stand there smiling; quietly in the fight of my life to remain present.
I also know how wonderful it feels when awareness takes hold, when life connects, and when I am healing.
Healing from trauma is a daily choice that we all make; it is not a final destination that we reach and then move past. We learn to integrate all the parts of our life into who we are: the good and the bad. Then we learn to thrive.
In closing, I wish you all strength on your journey of healing trauma. It is hard work, and it takes a courageous soul – I am so proud of you for doing it!
Wishing you peace and clarity,
Shanon
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“I understand how hard it is to live as “high functioning” in a world that needs to see the blood to believe there is an injury. I understand what it feels like when real-life circumstance triggers trauma responses.”
“Healing from trauma is a daily choice that we all make; it is not a final destination that we reach and then move past. We learn to integrate all the parts of our life into who we are: the good and the bad. Then we learn to thrive.”
Thank you! This is all so true and relevant. I am fighting that battle each day to keep myself connected, and not going into these ingrained responses and habits. Finding a way to do that which isn’t itself exhausting, is challenging. For me it starts with simple things which have no pressure, like reading on here in a relaxed and focused state of mind.
It’s harder than ever to find these things at the moment, or to be motivated to do them.
🤗💙