THUNAIHow do I recover from Childhood trauma and become resilient?
Is it possible for one to recover from child trauma? Will I be ever prone to daily stresses of life and major life events? Or can I become as resilient as a person who did not suffer abuse? These are all important questions.
People can and do recover from childhood trauma and live a full and constructive life. Many come to thrive and enjoy a feeling of wholeness, satisfaction in life and work, and genuine love and trust in relationships.
Here are some important things to know when it comes to recovery:
Relationships are very important for recovery for a number of reasons. Not only do they promote your wellbeing, they also form a part of your support network. Think of it this way. It feels good both to be supported, and to be a supporter for a friend.
Understand how your current behaviour is tied to your trauma.
You don’t have to feel perfect immediately for your recovery to be working. At times during this process, it is completely okay to feel like you are only doing “good enough”. This is an achievement in itself.
Recovery looks different for different people. For example, just because you can still function well does not mean your trauma is any less important than someone who can barely function. Likewise, if you find daily life a struggle, it simply means you are at a different point of your recovery journey.
Remember that you are strong, as many survivors are. Trust that you will find a way to get your needs met, that there will be better days, and that you are in power.
You are not permanently damaged just because of your trauma. Brain-plasticity is the capacity of the brain to repair and heal, and can provide a scientific basis for hope and optimism around recovery.
As you work through your trauma, you develop resilience, i.e. the capacity to sustain and respond to life stress, setbacks and difficulties. Gradually you might not find your traumatic experience as overwhelming as you come to terms with it.
Post traumatic growth is the positive change experienced as a result of a person’s journey through trauma. This means it is possible to develop beyond recovery. When a person experiences post-traumatic growth, they come to appreciate their life more fully, build on their inner strengths and acknowledge them, forge deeper relationships and plan more for a fulfilled future.