You can heal

 This information contains subject matter regarding PTSD. If you are in need of real-life mental health support, please contact a local provider. If you need assistance in finding one, please reach out to me. 

I am a believer of talking about feelings. When we hold things inside, they can become much bigger than they actually are. 

In my 20's, I realized that I was repressing a childhood trauma. When I discovered this I couldn’t even talk about the experience out loud. Luckily, my friends were able to help me through the first few weeks of remembering, and then I saw a therapist who helped me more. Through the process of talking to a trained professional, I was able to understand and release the power this trauma had over me. I know I healed from that experience because I can talk about it without it bringing up any pain. 

I recently went to a training where PTSD was discussed. One of the hardest parts about PTSD is that, when we experience trauma, we go into the amygdala (fight, flight, or freeze) part of the brain. 

The ability to remember events happens in our pre-frontal cortex.

What I learned from this class is that one of the reasons it is hard to address PTSD is because your memory of what happened and your feelings about it are disconnected. How can we talk about it when we have a hard time remembering it? 

This is when it is important to address what is needed with a mental health professional. They have the techniques and training that can help people work through trauma in a meaningful way.

Once we can talk about it, without it bringing up pain, we are healed.