Holistic Modalities to Support Your Trauma Recovery
Updated: Jul 10, 2021
For those who don't know me, I've been on an amazing healing journey for the past 11 years. When I had a near death nightmare in November 2010, I looked outside the box for other ways to recover. I decided to be open to various holistic modalities to heal; physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It saved my life! For this I am eternally grateful.
To learn about my true story, check out my book, Soul Cry: Releasing & Healing the Wounds of Trauma. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085X3Z79S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vp
While it started with much trial and error, eventually I learned many natural methods to reduce my fibromyalgia pain levels, to sleep better, to decrease anxiety, depression, and Complex PTSD symptoms, my back pain, and so much more. Along my healing journey, I learned that I have far more power to increase my health and quality of life than what Western Medicine admits. The truth is that we each have the innate ability to heal. Gently. Gradually. Using nature, bodywork, herbs, essential oils, a clean diet, and countless other methods. We can step into the driver seat to heal. One day at a time. Without toxic chemicals. Without invasive procedures. Without harming our body and mind with potentially destructive ingredients. Before we get into holistic modalities, let's first build awareness about various types of trauma. There are far too many traumatic events to list all of them here. Here's the most common list of types of traumas: 1. Sexual abuse
2. Child neglect & abuse
3. Physical abuse
4. Mental/Emotional abuse
5. Domestic Violence
6. War-induced trauma
7. Natural disasters
8. Mass shootings
9. Bullying & harassment
10. Life-threatening illness
11. Medical Negligence/malpractice
12. Narcissistic Abuse
Trauma causes people to disconnect. They disconnect from their own body, mind, soul, and present reality. Survivors may disconnect because the pain hurts badly. Most survivors are not even aware that they have disconnected or detached from themselves.
You cannot heal from a place of denial, detachment, or intentional dissociation. Healing your trauma requires you to reconnect to yourself; mind, body, and soul. It is a beautiful experience to come home to yourself.
Healing always begins WITHIN. Listen to what your body is screaming for your attention. You may feel frozen in time. (Migraines. Stomachaches. Body pain. Tonsillitis. Inflammation. Insomnia. Triggers.) The goal is to not cover up your symptoms. Shift your focus. Observe them. Understand that each organ is connected to an underlying condition that could be how your trauma has manifested itself into a physical or emotional form. Your trauma is not just something from the past. You cannot "just get over it" or "move on." Instead, trauma is enmeshed within each cell in the body. There is a body/mind connection to trauma, including cellular memory and epigenetics. In my personal recovery journey, my healing couldn't start until I was free from medicine. It was a fierce battle for my own life. My prescriptions masked the root cause of my trauma. Tapering each medicine was not an easy road to travel. It was by far the most traumatic, hellish ordeal for me, especially since several of my medications were severely interacting and causing me intense withdrawal symptoms.
While there is a time and place for medicine, it shouldn't be the first choice, nor only option. I've learned the hard way that prescriptions can numb the brain and our memory. It sabotaged my ability to process my pain and it prevented me to heal my trauma. I was traumatized by medical doctor's who placed me in harms way and used poor judgement during my medical care. It disturbs me that some traditional doctor's refuse to examine the root cause of the problem. They hand out one prescription after another as if it were bubble gum. And then the patient may suffer negative side effects, serious implications, injuries, suicidal ideation and thoughts, worse depression and anxiety, and added trauma to their initial trauma. Mind-warping psychotropic medications are not the solution. The drugs can alter the brain, memory, and cognitive function. It can suppress the patient's authentic emotions. It can take your life hostage in which you lose your control over your own mind, body, and life.
If there is nothing you learn today, I hope you can understand that we begin to heal only when we reconnect to ourselves to fully feel our emotions. We feel it to heal it. Even if it is uncomfortable. Even when it may not feel good. Even despite the dark moments when new memories come to our conscious minds. I love trauma expert, Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk's quote, in which he states, "Trauma is not an event that took place sometime in the past. It is also the imprint left by that experience on the mind, brain, and body." (The Body Keeps The Score book)
For those who are open to holistic modalities for healing trauma and other health concerns, here's a list:
1. EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
2. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
3. Professional massage therapy and/or bodywork
4. Acupuncture
5. Reiki energy healing
6. Myofascial release therapy
7. Music/sound therapy
8. Art therapy 9. Pet therapy
10. Essential oils
11. Herbalism 12. Homeopathy 13. Naturopathy 14. Yoga 15. Meditation 16. Prayer 17. Cranial Sacral therapy
18. Breath work 19. Journaling your trauma and personal experiences
20. Certified Trauma Recovery Coaching For additional professional resources for trauma recovery, please check the back of my memoir, Soul Cry: Releasing & Healing the Wounds of Trauma, which includes a wide variety of non-medical resources. We don't need eloquent words to support trauma survivors. Your calm presence and willingness to hear someone's story can make a big difference. When we bear witness to their pain, they no longer feel so alone. Being heard, being seen, and being validated is extremely healing. Today, no matter what you have suffered and endured, I support you. Feel free to reach out to me to inquire about my trauma recovery coaching sessions, which will start at the end of the summer 2021. When we walk beside trauma survivors in the darkness, we can be a healing balm to help them find the light within them.