Traumatic Experiences Community Daily Check-in Thursday 31st May 2018

Hello Lovely Trauma family

Thanks Bee for your lighthearted and fun Wednesday! A break between the grief sessions as I'm going to continue with this theme. Mainly because its so significant in our healing.. maybe more than we realise.

As Michele Rosenthal, author of "Your Life after Trauma' says ": Trauma and grief often go hand in hand, so learning to process grief can help those struggling With PTSD." She describes grief as our internal response to loss. .. the sadness and the despair. The key is to convert the grief to mourning which is the way we express our grief....., the more active phase which may involve talking to another ,writing or poetry, art or music, and may be in a special place. According to Dr Alan Wolfelt, educator and grief counselor, mourning is what intergrates our internal response of grief, and what helps us to release this is to find safe people and places that allow us to mourn.

Finding that support may not be so easy. Its thought that one third of people will not be comfortable and able to sit with your mourning, another third will tell you to cheer up, it wasn't so bad after all, they want you to be okay, and the other third are the gems, the ones who can hold you up and support you through this.Often its someone who can sit with you, maybe hold you, and comfort you. The other support is your own internal support.. the self compassion, kindness gentleness, and understanding in your internal environment that helps the healing process.

According to Wolfelt, mourning involves several steps. First acknowledging the loss.And then befriending the pain, no longer avoiding it, but allowing and interacting with it. Knowing what you have loved and lost, and exploring your new identity in the context of the loss. And finally searching for meaning.

"Pain is excess energy crying out for release." Gerald Heard.

How is your day going? Do you know how you naturally express your grief, that is to mourn, or maybe you can discover this. Or pop in to say hi! This is your space and a safe place. Much love and comfort from rozie. x

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