Trauma can affect every aspect of self. Its impact is not exclusive to one’s mental and emotional state. There is a significant impact on the body as well. While it’s true that the mind will require a focused commitment to healing, the body should not be neglected. Each aspect is interconnected and part of the whole self. Attention and care will need to be given to each part in order to heal completely and sustainably.
There are many ways that trauma can affect the body. Over time, one might feel symptoms of chronic fatigue, unable to pinpoint why and left searching for an underlying condition that simply isn’t there. This compounds the effect of gaslighting that is all too often prevalent in trauma. If one is being abused by a narcissist, for example, a key component of this abuse is to make the victim believe he or she is the cause of the problem. When fatigue appears and the victim is unable to shake it, perhaps getting tested over and over again for a medical condition, the abuser will use this to further convince the individual of their supposed “craziness.” The victim might feel as if the abuser has a point, intensifying feelings of low self-worth and, at the same time, making the fatigue worse.
Even in the post-trauma state, it is difficult to release this physical response. Reliving induces anxiety, stress, depression and other negative feelings that, in turn, show up in physical ways. Oftentimes, those who experience trauma dissociate from the body in order to cope. This becomes a new normal and it seems foreign to reconnect and see the body as a safe haven in the aftermath. It is important to remember, however, that your body is yours. It loves you and it has an incredible ability to self-heal. This, again, is where the mind and body intersect. Your body will heal, and you will feel better than you have in a very long time, so long as your mind will let it.
Removing toxicity will allow you to return to self. When one is intoxicated, they are off-balance. The effects are all-encompassing in the body, and decisions are difficult to make while the body is fighting to respond to this intoxication. A toxic situation or relationship can be seen in much the same way. The body cannot heal when toxicity is present, and this toxicity very often manifests in an unbalanced environment. Decisions are difficult to make while living with toxicity because the focus tends to be solely on survival. It is necessary to remove the toxic agent in order to realign and cognitively be able to heal the mind and body. Full recovery is possible when the decision is made to remove toxins and allow the self to stop solely surviving.
When deciding what needs to be released, reflect on whether you ‘are better off.’ Whenever you’re feeling as if something is off in your body or you’re not feeling well for an extended period of time but can’t pinpoint why, self-reflect on what you’re allowing into your life and where you’re expending your energy. Do connections immediately come to mind that you do not feel comfortable with or know are taking too much from you? Consider who and what might be toxic to you at any given time and ask yourself, “Am I better off with or without this?” If you have a clear-cut answer one way or another, you can move on. However, chances are most of what comes to mind will not be so cut and dry. So, give it time. Return to the same internal conversation again and again, while cutting out those things that you immediately understand need to be.
Trust your instincts. Remember basic human nature and the basic instinctual reflexes you were born with that tell you whether you’re safe and loved or being threatened and facing danger. This is another vital linkage between the mind and body. When the mind instinctually understands that a situation is unhealthy, the body will become unhealthy. When your mind realizes something is off and you’re feeling unwell, trust your instinctive response to release the burden that is making you feel that way. Of course, to understand that this is happening, you will need to practice self-care and find quiet time to reflect. When your body is unwell, it will tell the mind that you must figure out why, and when this connection is made, you must oblige in order to move to a better state.
Stop setting yourself up. It can be difficult to recognize when you’re engaging in unhealthy patterns unless you take the time to acknowledge your own instinctual response to trauma. Frequent self-reflection will help you understand that a toxic cycle is repeating over and over again, if it is, and allow you to access those internal tools to break it once and for all. It can be very frustrating to discover that you have allowed yourself to be taken advantage of time and again. It’s a hard pill to swallow. But, it is important to acknowledge and accept this rather than suppress it, because continuing to experience life-altering trauma hurts even worse. The long-term effects of trauma on the whole self are immeasurable, and part of healing needs to be building strength through facing fear and being willing to very tangibly remove what is causing it.
Remember the takeaways. Trauma healing is not a one and done process. It is a lifelong journey and it is important to remember to continue referencing the tools you’re building within yourself over and over again. Like learning a new language or a technical program, if you don’t use the knowledge gained, you lose it. As you begin to make self-care part of your routine and engage in self-reflection, understanding more and more why trauma entered in the first place, your response to it, and what you can do to remove it, you gather sustainable healing tools. These are vital components of the recovery process you’ll want to access again and again, the same way a recovering addict continues to attend AA or NA meetings indefinitely, continues to reference The Promises, or recites The Serenity Prayer daily.
Remember the takeaways you’ve established – what is working for you and what isn’t – and make what is an integral part of your post-trauma life. Doing so will heal the mind and the body will naturally follow.