By Debbie Ali

I will begin with the necessary disclaimer that I am not a certified Therapist, Psychologist or Psychiatrist and the information being shared is based on personal experience.

Trauma is by definition a deeply troubling, distressing or stressful experience and can manifest itself in physical, mental and emotional shock. Trauma can occur as a result of unexpected events such as accidents, death, abuse and extremely stressful life situations.  Individuals, who have endured trauma of any kind, can suffer from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and acts as well as low self esteem issues.  These are very real illnesses and the physical symptoms that arise as a direct result, are equally as real as the pain someone would feel from a fall or accident.

The reason I can make these bold claims is because I have lived through terribly traumatic events in my life and have come out on top.  The reason I was able to survive was because I was willing to do the work that comes with overcoming depression and all of the aforementioned symptoms.  Procrastination and keeping yourself busy does not solve any of the underlying issues affecting your mental, emotional and physical health, they only serve as plasters on a deep gash.  Eventually this deeply embedded emotional distress will manifest itself in your physical health.  Many doctors may disagree and often give well-meaning suggestions such as journaling and keeping your life so busy that there is no time to focus on your internal struggles. 

I beg to differ, having endured being abducted for ransom and held captive for 2 solid weeks, during which I was badly beaten, raped multiple times, tortured, starved and abused in the worst of ways.  While staying busy does have its merits, and journaling can also be very helpful, not all individuals respond in the same manner to the trauma and abuse they have suffered.  Over the years I have tried these very suggestions only to realize that the pain I bottled up inside caused the onset of terrible migraines, chest pains, panic attacks, anxiety ‘for no reason’ among so many others.  Eventually I gave in to the medication I was prescribed and it has helped me to cope significantly with daily life.

However, in the end I knew that I needed to confront the terrors, the insomnia and anxiety triggers and find a way to reduce or eliminate their effects on my life.  After all I needed to be able to function to take care of my young children, to work and have some semblance of a normal life.  I discovered and implemented several different ways of coping with every single issue that triggered me.  Please understand that all of these years later one of those ‘loose triggers’ will rear its ugly head but now I know exactly how to dispel its potential effect on my life.

If you are battling depression, anxiety, having suicidal thoughts, suffering from insomnia, poor health, nightmares or even substance abuse, chances are you have not stood face to face with the horrors that haunt your life.  Think about it, if you hear a thump in the night and you know it’s a burglar trespassing on your property (your life), would you simply allow this individual to enter your life and steal what you have worked so hard to achieve?  No, you will be ready to fight for what is rightfully yours, you will arm yourself (with skills), use some form of light so you can find your way around (admitting there’s a problem) and face the intruder (trauma, fears etc.).  You will eventually remove this trespasser (depression, self harm etc) from your life and once more feel safe in your own home (yourself).  In the same way you would then proceed to further protect your home to avoid subsequent invasions, you will use acquired skills to protect your physical, mental and emotional health from falling under the influence of past incidents.

I encourage you to connect with me and be on the lookout for some of these skills and techniques I have used over the years to cope with trauma and its cohorts.  I can be reached at 3glcounseling@gmail.com