Episode 25- My Healing Journey

Journal Prompt:

Step 1- Acknowledgement

1. What forms of abuse did you experience as a child?

2. What coping mechanisms or personality traits did you develop to cope with the trauma?

3. Are these mechanisms or traits healthy?

Step 2- Acceptance

1. Make peace with the fact that you are a victim of trauma, but that you will become a survivor. Allow yourself whatever feelings you experience during this process. Sadness, anger, disappointment, and frustration are very common and normal. 

2. Accept the fact that none of the abuse was your fault, and recognize it was something done TO you, not CAUSED by you. 

3. Becoming a survivor means putting in the work to process, understand, and alter the borders in your mind, your coping mechanisms, and personality traits caused by the trauma. Decide if you are willing to put in that work and figure out how you will get the information you need to change (counselor, self-help books, podcasts).

Step 3- Reconstruction

1. Make a list of personality traits and coping mechanisms that you have developed due to trauma. Sort them into two lists, things you like and ones you don’t like.

2. To start, pick one of the traits or mechanisms you don’t like and work on a plan to improve it (counselor, self-help books, podcasts).

3. Celebrate the traits that you like, and remind yourself of your accomplishments. As you work through the tough stuff, be sure to reflect on all the great things about you too!