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Past trauma can impact your health long after the incident has happened. Trauma doesn't just go away on it's own. A lot of us are taught to 'move on' from the trauma onto better things. However, irrespective of the source of trauma, you can't just get over it. Rather, it can have a long-lasting impact on your psychological and physical health.
Letting go of the impact of trauma often requires a holistic approach. It is easier said than done, but it sometimes becomes an essential step to take for your well-being. Remember that you are not alone and can find resources and professional support to help you out on this journey.
How does past trauma continue to impact the present?
Trauma is our response to an emotionally threatening and unexpected event. We can develop this response after various types of events, such as childhood abuse or neglect, witnessing domestic violence, experiencing war, natural disaster, and much more. We now recognize that people often experience shame in sharing their experiences of trauma. Many also believe that what they have gone through is not trauma and end up minimizing their experience.
Not everyone experiences trauma after witnessing a threatening event. However, if you do experience signs of repressed trauma, such as nightmares, fuzzy memories, emotional dysregulation, and others, it is important to acknowledge it. Remember, that you may or may not have exact memories of the event, but often your body remembers it.
How do you let go of past trauma?
The important question then is: is there a way to let go of past trauma? Yes, there is, but not in a single way. The impact of trauma is unique and each person experiences it differently, even when the experience is the same. For instance, many people may experience a natural disaster. However, how the natural disaster impacts the individual and how they cope with it remains unique.
In this case, working with a trauma-informed therapist is very helpful. They don't just work at the thought level, they also understand your emotional landscape. Additionally, they also explain how your fight or response changes after being exposed to a traumatic event.
Once you work on identifying the impact of the trauma, your next goal in therapy is stabilisation. This means helping you gain control of your mind and body in the here and now. The professional will help you learn grounding skills, equip you with relaxation tools, and teach you breathing techniques that help you stay in the present.
There are multiple ways to recover from past trauma. However, the initial few steps are focused on helping you recognize the impact of the trauma and learn ways to stabilize yourself. Depending on your concerns, your mental health professional is likely to suggest a therapeutic modality.
Some talk therapies emphasize talking about the experience, while others don't necessarily go into the depths of trauma. By becoming aware of these modes, you can slowly learn to let go of past trauma.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
