Processing Trauma

Trigger warning: This post discusses trauma, violence + pet loss.

Trauma should be processed through our brains. Our brains are meant to process and sort information, and storing traumatic information there without processing it can cause immense pain.

The more we share our traumas through spoken + written word, it helps our brains process them, and get them out of our heads. It reduces the heaviness that comes along with emotionally laden events. Talking about traumatic events over and over can reduce the emotional heaviness from the event, and can help with triggers that accompany trauma. When social workers assist children after school shootings, they have the children talk about each detail of what happened, over and over, to assist with processing.

The best ways for me to process trauma are to:

• Talk about it in therapy

• Talk about it with trusted friends + family

• Write about it freely in a journal

• Write helpful pieces + share with my community with a spirit of helpfulness

I experienced this myself recently after I lost my dog in a traumatic car accident. It was awful and heartbreaking, but taking the above steps helped me immensely.

Our brains are not meant to be the storer of emotionally laden memories. It is too overwhelming and can cause pain to the body if not processed.

So it's helpful to share trauma in a mindful way. We can't control what happens in our life all the time. But we can be assertive + control how we process it, in order to help us move forward. The brain is an amazing thing 🧠

#lawpracticequeen #mentalhealth #therapy #trauma #psychology