Trauma is something that happened to you, not who you are.
Living with trauma can feel like carrying something heavy that no one else can see. Some days you manage it quietly, other days it feels like it’s everywhere: in your thoughts, your body, your emotions.
If that’s where you are right now, you don’t have to force yourself to be “okay” to deserve compassion.
What happened to you may have changed your sense of safety, trust, or even how you see yourself. But it does not define your entire identity.
Trauma is something that happened to you, not who you are.
Healing doesn’t follow a straight line. Some days you may feel stronger, and other days small things may bring everything rushing back. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your mind and body are still trying to make sense of what they went through.
You are allowed to take healing slowly, rest, set boundaries that protect your peace, even if others don’t fully understand them yet.
There is no “right way” to heal, only your way.
Even in the moments you feel stuck, something important is still true: you are still here, still breathing, still trying. That in itself is strength.
You deserve patience, you deserve safety, you deserve gentleness, especially from yourself. 💪❤️🤗
Lovely post, explained beautifully. I'd rather hear this then someone say Get over it, from having zero knowledge of what it's really like to live and breathe it and have triggers come up that, you can't even explain, yet it's terrifying, especially when you're not alone and can't even compose yourself.
The last thing you want, is to expose yet more vulnerabilities to others and be judged for not being ok.
Rough day but at least I can collapse in private now.
My pleasure 🙏. I'm glad to read your response.
Thank you jaynguzo for that insight.
No one really knows what impact trauma has on another individual. Every story is unique to the person.
The woundedness that has defined me for so long (seen and unseen), will not deter my efforts to seek the healing that I have yearned for so long. I remain optimistic but I realize that I cannot do it on my own.
What I have also found through utilizing a few therapists over the past 5 years is that it seems I've exhausted the CBT, Internal Family Systems talk therapy to the point of hitting a dead end. I'm going at it at a different angle now (starting soon).
What I have to do a better job of is what you mentioned. That is compassion! Three things for me:
Mercy, Compassion and Patience
That's the spirit. Your efforts will certainly bring the healing that you yearn for. You will be fine ♥️🤗💪
