Recognize that trauma’s difficulty stems from one’s own reactions, not solely external events or other people. Focus on managing personal arousal and reactivity to regain control over your life.
Extend compassion and understanding to others, recognizing that people generally do their best to survive. Avoid punitive or judgmental responses, as connection and being heard are crucial for healing.
Actively foster and re-establish human connection with loved ones and within communities. This is a main source of comfort, protection, and resilience against trauma’s chronic imprints.
Advocate for and implement trauma-informed approaches in schools, workplaces, and hospitals, focusing on individual safety and agency. This shifts from treating trauma as purely an individual problem to a systemic one.
Caregivers should recognize their own frustration or anger towards a patient as a signal to step back and reassess the situation with colleagues. This helps avoid re-traumatizing the patient and ensures better care.
Maintain an open mind and actively experiment with different healing modalities, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Explore what helps you feel alive in your body, as different approaches work for different people.
Explore body-oriented therapies like yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi, martial arts, or massages to gently reconnect with bodily sensations. These practices can calm the nervous system and open pathways of self-experience.
Intentionally practice slow and deep breathing to calm your nervous system and change heart rate variability. This can lead to a sense of relief and openness by calming the body’s stress response.
Consciously alter your body posture to influence your emotional state. Adopt positions associated with positive emotions (e.g., joy, power) to shift your internal experience and counteract feelings of helplessness.
Actively engage in varied movement and activities that make your body feel alive and capable. Doing something to overcome helplessness is crucial for processing stress and tapping into full human potential.
Explore EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy with a qualified therapist to neutralize traumatic memories. This can calm triggers and reduce the emotional impact of past events, though it may be less effective for long-standing child abuse histories.
Investigate neurofeedback as a brain organization treatment to train your brain to make different connections. This can help calm the brain, improve focus, and regulate emotions, making it easier to learn and get along with others.
Seek out group treatment or community-based programs (like group yoga or choral singing) where others have similar experiences. This can significantly reduce shame, provide validation, and foster a crucial sense of connection and shared humanity.
Engage in theatre or role-playing activities (e.g., Shakespeare plays, sword fighting) to viscerally experience different ways of being, moving, and feeling powerful. This can help break habitual responses of helplessness by embodying new roles.
If considering psychedelic therapy (where legal), ensure it is conducted with extreme caution, under the guidance of multiple trained therapists, in a safe and supportive setting, and within a strong therapeutic relationship. This mitigates significant risks and avoids potentially dangerous or painful experiences.
When a child experiences difficult events, be present for them and acknowledge their reality. This support significantly contributes to their resilience and overall well-being.
Actively take ownership of your healing process and engage with treatments, rather than passively complying with external orders. This fosters a deeper connection with your progress and empowers your recovery.
In intimate relationships, when a partner disproportionately reacts, practice trauma-sensitive responses by taking a step back, engaging in calming activities (e.g., a walk, playing tennis), or seeking external perspective. This helps to decrease the emotional heat of the situation and prevent re-traumatization.
If feeling stuck, revisit past coping mechanisms and moments that gave you a glimmer of hope. Reflect on what has worked or hasn’t worked for you as a survivor, and explore cultural activities that might help your body feel at home or safe.