Your Strength to Heal

We are dedicated to healing and preventing trauma through education, training and support.

We are dedicated to healing and preventing trauma through education, training and support.
  • Home
  • Trauma
    • Psychological Trauma
    • Trauma & Risk Factors
    • Causes of Trauma
    • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
    • Extreme Abuse
      • Extreme Abuse
      • Human Trafficking
      • Ritual Abuse
  • Addiction
    • Addiction
    • 12 Steps of AA – simplified version
  • Getting Help
    • Getting Help
    • Choosing a Therapist
    • Twelve Step Programs
    • Crisis Support Hotlines
    • Self Care
    • Financial Balance
    • Survivor Stories
  • Training & Resources
    • Workshops and Consultations
    • Clinician Resources
    • Clinician Articles
    • Survivor Resources
    • Survivors & Families Articles
    • Blog and Recent News
    • Our Articles
  • About Us
    • About Your Strength to Heal
    • Contact Us
    • Holistic Healing Center
    • You Can Help…
    • Kim’s Story

STEPS IN THE HEALING OF TRAUMA BY KIM KUBAL

September 18, 2019

STEPS IN THE HEALING OF TRAUMA

By Kim Kubal

This is a unique set of steps for survivors of trauma as they go through the intense experience of healing from abuse.  This is based on my own healing from trauma.  Please note these steps do not necessarily follow in this order, and vary with each survivor.

1. DENIAL

This is characterized as shock and disbelief.  Survivors are taught from an early age they won’t be believed which feeds directly into their own desire for it not to be true.  Then the reality and shock of the abuse starts to permeate one’s entire system and shatters one’s world view, familial ties, relationships and relationship to oneself and one’s environment.  Added to this dynamic, is the fact that there is little or no community support.

This stage can produce severe forms of anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive sexual feelings and thoughts, loss of appetite, compulsive eating.  Emotional distress can cause distractions such as addictions, self-harm, dissociation, keeping busy.

2.ANGER

Outward expressions of anger can cause hostility, rage, explosive behavior or turned inwards can cause depression, fear, self-mutilation.  This is also characterized by guilt/self-blame.

 3.  BARGAINING

Buying time to accept the reality of the situation – “what if……/”If only……..”

4. DEPRESSION

Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, withdrawal from friends, family, society in general, loss of pleasure, avoidance, extreme anxiety, preoccupation with death, panic, confusion, fearfulness. Survivors take on the responsibility for what happened and blame themselves. Depression can cause the survivor to self-medicate through addictions and self-harm in order not to feel.

5.GRIEF

The survivor starts to experience the many losses associated with trauma – loss of a safe childhood, loss of love, loss of friends and support from the community.

Grief can again cause the survivor to self-medicate through addictions and self-harm.

6. EMOTIONAL RELEASE WORK
Venting the anger with a bat, tennis racket or pillows by oneself or with the help of a therapist releases the rage and frees up one’s energy, so that the rage does not turn inward or outward. By doing this work i.e. by holding the bat over the head, inhaling and then screaming, grunting or whatever words come forth, the person can ultimately feel strong and powerful without anyone being hurt. Continual expression of one’s rage eventually leads to deeper bottom line emotional pain where full emotional expression and catharsis can take place.

 7.ACCEPTANCE

The survivor’s personal identity and belief system becomes integrated.

Share

Your Strength to Heal

  • Blog and Recent News
  • Our Articles
  • Contact Us

Search for Articles

  • Search Term (optional)

Donate Today

Financial support is critical to what we do. Your donations empower us to provide healing resources for trauma and abuse survivors.

Help us to continue to educate, train, support and provide valuable online information for survivors, mental health professionals, and the community-at-large.

Donate ♥

Guidestar Gold Participant

Your Strength To Heal is a 501(C)3 organization · Privacy Notice · Terms of Use · Contact Us · Copyright © 2023 · Custom Web Design by Cascading Pixel · Log in