Long Term Trauma

[P12]

I received a recommendation to start a new discussion when my main discussion has apparently not initiated discussion with other than one other member over the past few months.

I would like to ask whether anyone may share their experience overcoming long term trauma? 

My experience is that the prevailing strategy is to assume that long term trauma exists because the individual holds an incorrect belief. Therefore the solution is to correct the belief. However, I found it  almost impossible to change a belief that is validated by stronger evidence than that which is suggesting an alternative belief.  

Thank you.

[Sophie_M]

Dear P12
 
Thank you for your post this evening, we are so glad that you have made you way here and had the bravery to reach out; great idea on creating a new thread and to encourages a few more responses!
  
Please also remember that we are also here 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via our Webchat.  Our team who answer the phones are ready to have a supportive and non-judgmental chat whenever you need it.
 
We’re sure to hear from some of our lovely community members here on your thread soon. As you are already aware, they are a really amazing community, and will have understanding, advice and kind words for you.  Thanks again for sharing. It’s a powerful and brave first step towards feeling better.
 
Regards 
 
Sophie M
 

[ecomama]

Hi P12, 

I'd like to understand your questions better. 
I'm not sure what you mean by "long term trauma"... do you mean many events over a long period of time by which you felt traumatised? 
Or do you mean that you experienced trauma a long time ago and still don't feel "cured"? 
Or something else?

What do you mean by "overcome"? 
Do you mean a person has forgotten the traumatic events? Or something else... 

Your last paragraph seems to be chock full of what other people believe. I'm not sure? That's what I gleaned from it. 

I'll put my own thoughts out there... you can read up, research, find various POVs, seek guidance from various MH professionals, talk with friends, family, BB too... all the while, you can use your own agency by seeing all suggestions as a Menu to choose from.

You can also tune into what is most beneficial to your wellbeing and healing. 

We can end up in a word salad and describing our own journeys in print is difficult to convey. 
Expressing them in language at all is wrought with issues. 
Those of us with 1 or more diagnoses may be understood by another person, but underneath these is an INDIVIDUAL who is unique in the world. Therefore I see there's no "one size fits all" treatment for anything really. 

Otherwise we'd all be cured from every kind of MHI. 

Best wishes in your journey towards healing
EM

[quirkywords]

P12

Thznks for posting a new thread, I have on,y just seen it. 
Iam dealing with trauma from an event nearly 3 years ago. Just when I think I am coping I am  triggered  and have a setback. 
not sure what you mean by holding an incorrect belief. I just want  to know how to cope with thoughts and keep moving on. 
i am keen to keep the discussion going on.m

[P12]

Hi ecomama.

I appreciate your advice.

By long term trauma, I mean feelings of pain, exclusion, and fear that are caused by repeated events over a long period of time.

By overcome, I mean cured, in the sense that the trauma does not negatively affect one's life.

By my final paragraph, I mean that counsellors and psychologists to whom I have spoken have told me that my beliefs are incorrect and that I would receive more satisfaction if I changed them. I experience distress from being asked to change beliefs that I have strengthened over my whole life to cope with how others have treated me.

I feel you are expressing frustration with me because you believe my beliefs are faulty because my hope to cure trauma is impossible. Instead do you believe that trauma cannot be cured, but there do exist strategies to reduce its effect. Is this correct?

I have trouble accepting the solution is purely intellectual. If so, why do humans have a body at all, and why to laws prosecute thoughts as well as actions?

[P12]

Hi ecomama,

While re-reading my previous post, I have realised it could be interpreted differently to how I intended. I did not mean to be cynical or disrespectful. I am sorry if this is how it is interpreted. I appreciate your response and the opportunity to discuss with you.

Definitely, I am familiar with a perspective that the physical world and a human lifetime are too limited for one to receive fulfilment, and that greater satisfaction can be obtained from the intellectual world and from the eternal world.

[patria47]

Hi, I am new here or have not really responded to many posts. I am not sure my post will be real helpful but I want to try. By long-term trauma I wonder if you are referring to something like complex trauma. This is something I have been diagnosed with among other things. I don't know where you got the idea that it exists because of your own incorrect belief. It kind of sounds to me like you are being blamed by someone or blaming yourself perhaps for your trauma or why some things have not got better. I think too often we want a quick fix or sometimes people can make us feel that there is an easy solution to long-term trauma/ complex trauma and sadly there probably isn't. While I have recovered to a degree and do continue to hope to recover more, I am quite aware that some of the trauma I experienced has really shaped who I am as a person and I don't think I will be able to completly remove all of its effects. But rather than look at everything negative trauma can bring there may be some positives you can see too, such as compassion or understanding of what others may be going through. 

I don't know though whether I have really answered your question. I think if you are working on longterm/complex trauma you probably need to try and find a therapist or other support people specifically trained to help you with this. They also need to be someone you really trust and feel comfortable with I think too. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right person. That can take time too.  It often takes long-term support though often over years really or in my experience anyway. Please don't get discouraged if it takes a while.

Regards, 

Patria.