Few of us get through life without experiencing trauma in some shape or form. It is part of the human experience.
Trauma can arise from a number of life events including: witnessing the suffering or death of someone, divorce, experiencing neglect, bullying, growing up with addiction or in a dysfunctional household, chronic illness, and witnessing/experiencing abuse. This is not a complete list and it’s important to understand what might be traumatic for one person may not be for someone else. There are numerous factors in the development of trauma and each person’s needs and their healing path are unique.
It’s not uncommon for someone suffering from unresolved trauma to think there is something inherently wrong with them. There can be an undercurrent of shame, vulnerability and fear that’s hard to pinpoint. Quite often their nervous systems are off-kilter and they feel unsettled and anxious. A sense of impatience and lack of compassion is common and people often wonder “What’s wrong with me? This happened so long ago…why aren’t I over this by now?”
There have been extensive studies that show the connection between unresolved trauma and anxiety, chronic pain, depression, addiction, autoimmune disease, cancer, and the development of chronic disease. This is why I always screen for trauma with each of my patients, and why I’m sharing these resources with you. The resources below consist of podcasts, videos, books and the three most clinically researched trauma healing modalities: Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, and EFT.