Journal Prompts: Exploring Denial as a Childhood Trauma Survivor

We are all familiar with the Five Stages of Grief, but how well do you know yourself and your process through the cycles?

Denial

Grief due to childhood abuse & trauma is an overwhelming and complex emotion. It’s not unusual to respond by pretending it isn’t happening, didn’t happen, or doesn’t bother you. 

Denying it gives you time to more gradually absorb your reality and begin to process it.

This week I want to explore the stage of Denial and it’s importance in both survival during, and the healing process after childhood abuse.

Recently I revisited a book that I own called Recovery In Real Time: a Trauma Survivors Anti-Workbook by Gail Dickert. In the book she walks through the five stages of grief using hashtags for easy to digest understanding.

Below are seven statements about denial that I took from that book. Write about what they make you feel, don’t over think it. Just explore what denial means to you – you may be surprised.

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Journal Prompts

1. Denial Is Necessary
2. Trauma Can Fade
3. Minds Can Break
4. Family Can Interfere
5. Justice Is Not Guaranteed
6. Memory Loss Is Not Weak
7. Silence Can Be Deadly

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As always, I love to read your writing when you use my prompts so never hesitate to tag them back to this post. For more journal prompts visit my Prompts Page.

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