Trauma: Let's Talk About It

I’m not a mental health professional. I don’t have a counseling license.

However, I have experienced trauma. I love a lot of people who have experienced trauma, and I know what it’s like to feel alone in it. I work in ministry, so I walk with people through traumatic experiences and responses often. I know there are more of us recovering from trauma than are actually talking about it. I want to change that. I want to talk about it. I want to create a space where people that are hurting can find community and feel encouraged to take next steps. So let’s start to bring it into the light, so that we can begin to truly heal.

This is a space for authenticity and honesty. Processing trauma is not an easy thing to do, in fact, it can be pretty gut wrenching. I promise that displaying my scars on the internet isn't an easy thing for me to do, but my hope is that if I take time to share some of it, you won't feel so alone. Even more than that, I hope that reading my posts here would encourage you to let someone else in on what you are experiencing. We weren't created to experience life alone, so please stop trying to do that.

At this point, if you are alive and reading this, chances are, you’ve survived 2020. That’s a big ol' trauma, and you went through it. Trauma can dramatically affect and sometimes alter our brain development and overall health. Trauma has been proven to cause lasting side effects and complications, and if we don’t openly and appropriately process our difficult experiences, they only get worse. It only hurts more. It only causes more damage.

Not only will actively processing your trauma and taking steps to improve your mental health improve your quality of life, but it will positively impact the people around you too. There are all kinds of triggered responses that I have had that I wasn’t at all expecting and wasn’t prepared for. I know that’s caused tension in my friendships, family, and working relationships. But I should never just expect other people to make adjustments based on my poor responses and emotional reactions. My job is to own up to my shortcomings while showing myself grace and working on being a better version of myself who has learned from her mistakes. I do my best to admit when I’ve been wrong and seek forgiveness when necessary. I’ve got trauma, BUT my trauma should NEVER be an excuse to treat other people poorly. I’m not perfect at this, I mess up often, but I will always be working hard at being better. At healing. At loving people best.

So let this be an encouragement toward your next step, whatever that is for you. Maybe you need to talk to someone. Maybe you need to have a good cry with your therapist. Maybe you need to call and apologize to someone. Maybe you need to have an honest conversation with your spouse. Maybe you need to tell someone what happened to you, what someone did to you. Let's stop working through our trauma on our own.

Let this be your sign to do that. It might be scary, it might be painful, it might be unknown. But this is how we heal. This is how we become better and create a better world. This is how we love best. If you need someone to listen, I am here for you. I want to help you take steps toward health and growth. Let's do this together.

You are seen. You are loved. You are so strong.