By Linda K. Laffey, MFT
Many people are walking around, wounded by untreated trauma. They try to put on a brave face and hide their problems from the rest of the world. And, most of the time, they succeed in this mission.
You, too, may think that you can keep your problems hidden for your entire life, only to deal with them when they crop up unexpectedly later. Here is why it’s a better idea to seek trauma treatment now.
1. Improve your Relationships
Untreated trauma can adversely affect your closest relationships. You are more likely to avoid necessary, but painful, conflict. You may also avoid setting boundaries, without which you could be more likely to experience resentment, along with a number of other issues.
2. Be More Effective at Work
Trauma clouds can affect your brain and make you feel unfocused and disorganized. Treating your trauma can help you to regain your ability to concentrate, which, in turn, makes you able to be much more effective at work.
3. Become Less Reactive
Many people with unresolved trauma have hair-trigger reactions to stressful events. Trauma treatment can help you obtain better control over your responses, experience calm, and become more patient.
4. Relief from Depression
Untreated trauma often leads to depression. The longer you deal with it without treatment, the more helpless you feel. Trauma treatment can be an adjunct to other forms of depression therapy, including medication and talk therapy.
5. Sleep Better
Sleep problems plague most people dealing with unresolved trauma. You may suffer from insomnia, poor quality of sleep, or nightmares. Treating your trauma can alleviate many of these issues, helping you get to sleep more easily, soundly, and peacefully.
6. Greater Sense of Purpose
Unresolved trauma can rob you of your dreams and goals. Many people with untreated trauma find themselves feeling joyless, as though their life has lost its meaning and purpose. When you work through your long-standing trauma, you can once again open your mind to the future and possibility.
7. Increased Connection to Others
Trauma can make you feel isolated, causing you to retreat into solitude. The more withdrawn you become, the harder it is to reach out and find community. Getting treatment can help you release the anxiety that holds you back from building important connections with others.
8. Better Health and Energy Levels
Trauma has a much wider impact than just an emotional one. People who are dealing with unresolved past traumas often experience chronic physical ailments as well, including chronic fatigue and pronounced lethargy. Many people also lack the energy or will to take care of themselves, as exhibited in behaviors like lack of exercise, excessive drinking or disordered eating. These behaviors lead to worse overall health, which adds up over time.
9. Freedom from Fears
Unresolved trauma is like a shadow that stalks you. Many people with untreated trauma have a lot of irrational fears, which are often directly related to the source and cause of the original trauma. It’s not unusual to avoid situations, people, and places that trigger memories or flashbacks of the initial trauma. Seeking treatment for your past trauma can set you free from these fears.
10. Be More Mindful in the Moment
When you’re always dealing with past trauma, it’s hard to live in the moment. Treatment for your trauma can help you to be more mindful and appreciate the present moment. This can help combat the tendency among some traumatized people to dissociate themselves from their present time and circumstances.
Once you begin treatment for your past traumas, you will likely realize how many aspects of your life were affected. Trauma is pervasive, weaving through many facets of your mental, physical and spiritual health. You deserve to experience the joy that comes from healing.
Take the First Step…
If you’re ready to take a step toward healing from the traumas of your past, I would like to help. Please contact me by phone or by email so that we can discuss how we might work together to achieve your therapeutic goals as quickly and effectively as possible.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Linda K. Laffey, MFT
