4 Tips on how to deal with your Trauma

Hello everyone!

*trigger warning*

Hope you are doing great and enjoying your day. I made something on how to deal with trauma and some tips. Here is a poster about it and below it, I will explain something a little bit more.

Sexual assault is very common in today's society. Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 5 women in the U.S. are raped or sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, often by someone they know and trust. It's very sad, but it's reality. The trauma of being raped or sexually assaulted can be shattering, leaving you feeling scared, ashamed, and alone or plagued by nightmares, flashbacks, and other unpleasant memories.

These 4 tips are how to deal with trauma in general, but I will now tell you some tips on how to deal with sexual trauma.

1. Reach out to someone you trust

It's way more complicated than it sounds, but it will set you free. Not telling about what happened, won't erase it. However, it’s important to be selective about who you tell, especially at first. Your best bet is someone who will be supportive, empathetic, and calm. If you don’t have someone you trust, talk to a therapist, or call a rape crisis hotline.

2. Consider joining a support group

Support groups can help you feel less isolated and alone. They also provide invaluable information on how to cope with symptoms and work towards recovery.

3. Cope with feelings of guilt and shame

Remember, you did nothing to cause it. Even if you were drunk, even if you trusted that person but shouldn't have, even if it was your boyfriend/girlfriend... No, it's not okay, and you did nothing wrong. Don’t beat yourself up for assuming that your attacker was a decent human being. Your attacker is the one who should feel guilty and ashamed, not you.

4. Prepare for flashbacks and upsetting memories

When you go through something stressful, your body temporarily goes into “fight-or-flight” mode. Try to anticipate and prepare for triggers. Common triggers include anniversary dates; people or places associated with the rape; and certain sights, sounds, or smells. Pay attention to your body’s danger signals. Your body and emotions give you clues when you’re starting to feel stressed and unsafe. These clues include feeling tense, holding your breath, racing thoughts, shortness of breath, hot flashes, dizziness, and nausea.

5. Reconnect to your body and feelings

It’s frightening to get back in touch with your body and feelings following sexual trauma. In many ways, rape makes your body the enemy, something that’s been violated and contaminated—something you may hate or want to ignore. Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong. These activities combine body awareness with relaxing, focused movement and can help relieve symptoms of PTSD and trauma. Massage. After the rape, you may feel uncomfortable with a human touch. But touching and being touched is an important way we give and receive affection and comfort. You can begin to reopen yourself to human contact through massage therapy.

These are only some of them, and more about this you can read on Recovering from Rape and Sexual Trauma.

Or for trauma in general: Emotional and Psychological Trauma

Thank you and take care of yourself and others!

Elena XOXO