The Joyful Heart Foundation… Quote from this website article…
“Families or individuals who have experienced domestic violence are in the process of healing both physically and emotionally from multiple traumas. These traumas can have various effects on the mind, body and spirit. It is natural to experience these, and acknowledging the effects can be an important first step in embarking on a process towards restoration and healing.
People who are exposed to domestic violence often experience physical, mental or spiritual shifts that can endure and worsen if they are not addressed. According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control, nearly three in every 10 women—about 32 million—and one in 10 men in the United States who experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner reported at least one measured impact or effect related to forms of violent behavior in that relationship.1“
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I am a survivor of domestic violence and child abuse…a lifelong journey of healing is a work in progress… I noticed this past two weeks with all the news and video clips pounding away at my mind, that my usually upbeat disposition was starting to change for the worse. It became difficult for me to keep the images and feelings of past emotional pain at a safe distance. The images of childhood traumatic experiences started to appear much more frequently and put me back in a depressed mental state. Eventually my healing therapy and training kicked in and I started talking about my feelings with my wife and a close trusted friend. This was the first step in getting back on track as indicated in the above quote, “ acknowledging the effects can be an important first step in embarking on a process towards restoration and healing.“
My close and trusted friend, Byron Lewis, is also a student of NLP. Byron has written several articles for this blog about NLP (click on highlighted text for more on these alternative treatment strategies for trauma victims) and the therapy value of practicing techniques that can be very effective.
Just today over coffee, Byron, reminded me of one such NLP technique that addresses the images of pain from past traumatic events so that they are not all consuming and powerful. It works this way… When the image appears or as soon as you become aware of the image, keep it pictured in your mind and focus on the experience. Next then, if the image is moving, freeze the frame. If the image is in color, make the image black and white, then look away. Once the image has changed, try moving to look at it from a different position as if it is projected on a screen. Practice this technique over and over again whenever the painful image appears… The ultimate result is the image will no longer have power over your thought process…you are then back in control of the present mindfulness of living in the moment…
For me, the journey of healing from a traumatic past is always a work in progress. Human connectedness, including support from family and friends is truly the best way to keep the emotional pain from the past at a safe distance. Trying to remove the pain of these images with denial never works and it takes so much longer to heal. Being proactive and completely aware of post trauma symptoms is the very first step in healing. Good luck on your own journey of healing…
Steve Sparks, Author, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story and My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma, Part 1… Click on the highlighted text for my author page…
