Specialities - Heal Past Wounds
There’s the capital-T traumatic events,” which include things like being abused as a child and the loss of a parent. Then there are “small-T traumas”. “You can wound a kid not only by doing bad things to them, but by also not meeting their need(s).
Gabor Maté
Wounds, hurts, or traumas, whichever word that you resonate with, are painful and bothersome.
There is no argument to be had when you have suffered from abuse, war, illness and significant losses defined as major trauma. Such trauma needs to be tenderly processed and cared for.
What is important to reflect on is how small-T traumas can be impacting us deeply, as Gabor Maté would say. Consider how a small cut on our foot, if untreated, can lead to bacterial build up, infection and even amputation.
Some symptoms of past wounds impacting you:
Emotional Distress
When big or small traumas are unprocessed and unhealed, it can freeze us to old negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The unfortunate thing is that the “freeze” happens in the present day when we are unconsciously triggered by similar spaces, events, people or comments associated with our past.
This can cause us to be very scared, exhausted, helpless and alone.
Addictions
One way individuals do when they experience emotional distress from untreated trauma is to numb or avoid the pain. Alcohol, drugs, or gaming consumption rewards the body with excitement and new sensations to mask the pain. Overconsumption leads to addictions that lead to further disruption of your physical sensations and mental well-being.
PTSD, C-PTSD, Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders and Psychosis-Related Disorders
When you witness or experience a highly traumatic event that disrupts our value systems, beliefs, sense of self and safety, it can leave a mental scar, leading to Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD). Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) may occur when multiple, recurring traumatic events continue over long periods of time or have not stopped. Emotions of distress, nervousness, fear or rage can take over our daily activities and impact our relationships.
Other mental health disorders like mood disorders, personality disorders and psychosis-related disorders can manifest due to untreated trauma as well. The human mind constantly fights to survive and protect itself from perceived harm; sometimes with extreme measures. One measure can be dissociating/splitting of yourself with a stronger dominating version to compensate for the sense of pain from major trauma, leading to personality disorders. Another measure can be fixation to being chased or harmed so that your body continues to be in fight mode to the point where it does not stop, even when the individual is not in danger, leading to psychosis-related disorders.
Note: Some disorders have genetic dispositions. Physicians and psychiatrists offer the formal diagnosis of such mental health disorders. Healing and management of well-being often requires medications in conjunction with counselling psychotherapy.
You can reclaim your life and heal from past wounds
Can counselling psychotherapy help to heal past wounds?
With evidence-based techniques, trust, courage and gentleness, you and your therapist can start the healing process of past wounds. Depending on the type and severity of the wound, it can take months to years of therapy to fully heal. A commitment of knowing yourself well is important in order to recognize the small trauma and offer compassion to the big tramas.
At Know Me Well, the layered approach to healing past wounds includes:
- Supporting you to recognize your triggered core emotions and stabilize your emotional state.
- Once you are in a calm state of mind, we take careful steps to understand the root trauma and acknowledge the pain.
- Then, we reveal maladaptive protective efforts of self and manage its effects.
- Through iterative reflections and gentle relational processing; we will support you to obtain corrective emotional experiences to trauma and new perspectives for transformative healing.