As an applied positive psychology coach and substance abuse disorders counselor, I spend quite a bit of time supporting clients as they navigate difficult life experiences, many of which are traumatic. My professional environment is simply a reflection of the complex human experience. We are born into families of origin that may or may not give us the nurturing we need or equip us with the skills required to constructively manage life on life’s terms.
The spectrum of the human experience is filled with ups and downs, good and bad, and then hundreds of thousands of experiences in between. None of us will leave this life unscathed by trauma.
No one invites trauma into their lives.
Trauma upends life as we know it and our expectations from life
Each of us will experience trauma at some point by virtue of being alive. It’s how we respond and what we do with these traumatic experiences that will ultimately shape our outlook, subjective well-being, and life satisfaction.
Trauma encompasses a wide range of stressful adverse events that overwhelm our ability to cope. Trauma response is different for everyone and can be the result of a single event or multiple occurrences over time. The impact of trauma activating the “fight or flight response” in our brains and bodies can result in intense fear, hopelessness, horror, hypervigilance, and difficulty in rebounding to previous functioning levels.
Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) is simply a physiological and psychological response to sudden or persistent stress overload. These experiences can have deep and lasting effects on our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Trauma makes us vulnerable to anxiety, depression, dissociation, relationship difficulties, and a variety of physical ailments.
In seeking treatment to manage, heal, and move forward after trauma it is important to consider these important aspects of the mission at-hand:
- Understanding trauma response
- Valuation of treatment and recovery to improve quality of life
- Nurture recovery through a gentle approach
- Explore therapeutic modalities
- Balance treatment using an integrated approach
- Cultural and contextual considerations
- Embrace diverse paths to healing and Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)—the silver lining or positive changes that have happened as a result of the challenges(s)
“Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.”—Walter Anderson
Learning the intricate interplay between trauma, the brain, and the body is essential for developing effective interventions that will promote healing, build resilience and hardiness as well as improve life skills that will more positively serve us come what may.
Like what you’re reading? Want more consciously prepared brain food about this topic?
Listen to this Harvesting Happiness episode: Trauma Healing: Cycle-Breaking and Resilience-Building with Dr. Mariel Buqué PhD or wherever you get your podcasts.
Take an even deeper dive with More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness on Substack and Medium.
Dr. Mariel Buqué is a Columbia University-trained Psychologist, intergenerational trauma expert, and the author of Break the Cycle focusing on healing the wounds of intergenerational trauma. Her clinical framework is holistic and infuses ancient and indigenous healing practices into a modern, comprehensive therapeutic approach. Dr. Buqué is a sought-after media expert, provides healing workshops to Fortune 100 companies including Google, Twitter, Capital One, and Facebook as well as lectures within the psychology department of Columbia University.
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