Human beings are inherently social creatures.
We’re not wired to go it alone.
Having a range of social connections helps our happiness, health, and well-being. Feeling connected to, and supported by people in your life is a critical part of recovering from trauma.
But sometimes the effects of trauma make it hard to reach out for assistance.
Feeling distant or wary of other people is common after a traumatic event; you might not want to talk about it.
Overcoming these barriers means reflecting on the types of support you want in your life, and those you need.
It can be helpful to start out small; take it one step at a time.
You might think about what helped you connect with people before the trauma and engage in activities or interests that make you feel included and connected to people.
It can be hard to rebuild connections if you’ve been absent for a while; let people know why it’s been hard to spend time with them.
Be upfront about what you need from them; you’ll be surprised how happy they are to help.
Even support with simple things reminds you people are there for you.
And providing support to others will remind you of your value and worth.
Starting a new activity can help make new connections. And your most important support could come from family or friends.
Or it could come from a trusted professional, helping you work on your recovery.
It’s helpful to have a network of people, so that we’re not relying on just one person.
Remember, you’re not alone. Drawing on social support will help with your recovery, and help you reclaim your life.
As we have evolved, our bodies and brains have changed over time, but some of the oldest parts of our brains have been inherited from our earliest ancestors.
It’s the job of the ancient parts of our brain to tell us when there is danger or threat.
When faced with danger, our brain sends and receives messages from our body as it prepares to fight, run or freeze, and we experience a stress response.
Heart rate and breathing increases to fuel our muscles with oxygen, taking blood away from other parts of our bodies, and leaving us feeling very different.
We get tense, wound up, and ready to react.
When we deal with a life and death situation, the ‘primitive brain’ takes over, our body responds immediately to help us survive and stay safe.
After a traumatic experience, when the danger has passed, our ‘primitive brain’ can get stuck in this high alert mode.
Getting stuck in high alert mode makes it really hard to notice if the environment is safe.
Living life this way can be really exhausting.
We can be more reactive, even when there’s nothing to react to.
We might snap at minor misunderstandings.
Our attention and concentration are affected, and it’s much harder to wind down, relax or get to sleep.
As we have evolved, our bodies and brains have changed over time, but some of the oldest parts of our brains have been inherited from our earliest ancestors.
It’s the job of the ancient parts of our brain to tell us when there is danger or threat.
When faced with danger, our brain sends and receives messages from our body as it prepares to fight, run or freeze, and we experience a stress response.
Heart rate and breathing increases to fuel our muscles with oxygen, taking blood away from other parts of our bodies, and leaving us feeling very different.
We get tense, wound up, and ready to react.
When we deal with a life and death situation, the ‘primitive brain’ takes over, our body responds immediately to help us survive and stay safe.
After a traumatic experience, when the danger has passed, our ‘primitive brain’ can get stuck in this high alert mode.
Getting stuck in high alert mode makes it really hard to notice if the environment is safe.
Living life this way can be really exhausting.
We can be more reactive, even when there’s nothing to react to.
We might snap at minor misunderstandings.
Our attention and concentration are affected, and it’s much harder to wind down, relax or get to sleep.
But you can learn to switch off the brain’s high alert mode.
It takes practice and patience, but with time you can learn ways to manage how you respond to stress.
Each time you practice, you are one step closer to taking charge of your emotions.