With hurricanes and tornadoes in the southeast and wildfires in the northwest, this has been a time of significant trauma and drama for many people. Some people have suffered monumental losses; others the loss of trust, routine, and security. Such losses can evoke feelings of despair, uncertainty about the future, depression, anxiety and a range of physical and emotional reactions that may show up long after the actual danger has passed. Major disruptions in our lives can rock our sense of security and can re-activate symptoms of old trauma.
This is a good time to expand your repertoire of coping skills. Primary is receiving support but some of us resist allowing others to help us. Actively reach out to available resources: friends, family, neighbors, groups, counseling to ask for support....or to offer it. Telling your story and expressing your feelings helps to internalize the reality of what happened, so don’t hesitate to do that for as long as you feel the need. If the person you talk to tells you to “get over it”, find someone else who is willing to listen. If you are on the receiving end of someone’s story, recognize that you have an opportunity to improve your compassionate listening skills and be of service. Just as the gazelle who just barely escapes the lion will stand and shiver and shake for a few moments once he is safe, we need to be able to "shake off" the experience in order to move on. Being a more verbal species than gazelles, we often shake off with our words. Be gentle with yourself and others and do not judge.
You might experience the desire to medicate your symptoms with alcohol, drugs or food. Think twice about suppressing your experience and choose instead to practice self care with exercise, helpful conversations, nourishing food, music, meditation, dance, yoga, beloved pets, hot baths, guided imagery…. review your list of techniques that help you feel grounded and safe. There are therapeutic techniques like EFT, TAT, and EMDR that can mitigate the impact and symptoms of trauma in helpful ways, so explore those options for additional support. Take some time to do things you enjoy and express gratitude for what you do have. Explore ways to be of service to others. If you have misplaced your sense of humor, go looking for it. The poet Rumi suggested that if you don’t like what you see, try looking at it from another perspective. He believed that every loss leaves an open space with potential.
Barn burned down.
Now I can see the moon.
Rumi
This is a good time to expand your repertoire of coping skills. Primary is receiving support but some of us resist allowing others to help us. Actively reach out to available resources: friends, family, neighbors, groups, counseling to ask for support....or to offer it. Telling your story and expressing your feelings helps to internalize the reality of what happened, so don’t hesitate to do that for as long as you feel the need. If the person you talk to tells you to “get over it”, find someone else who is willing to listen. If you are on the receiving end of someone’s story, recognize that you have an opportunity to improve your compassionate listening skills and be of service. Just as the gazelle who just barely escapes the lion will stand and shiver and shake for a few moments once he is safe, we need to be able to "shake off" the experience in order to move on. Being a more verbal species than gazelles, we often shake off with our words. Be gentle with yourself and others and do not judge.
You might experience the desire to medicate your symptoms with alcohol, drugs or food. Think twice about suppressing your experience and choose instead to practice self care with exercise, helpful conversations, nourishing food, music, meditation, dance, yoga, beloved pets, hot baths, guided imagery…. review your list of techniques that help you feel grounded and safe. There are therapeutic techniques like EFT, TAT, and EMDR that can mitigate the impact and symptoms of trauma in helpful ways, so explore those options for additional support. Take some time to do things you enjoy and express gratitude for what you do have. Explore ways to be of service to others. If you have misplaced your sense of humor, go looking for it. The poet Rumi suggested that if you don’t like what you see, try looking at it from another perspective. He believed that every loss leaves an open space with potential.
Barn burned down.
Now I can see the moon.
Rumi
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