Is There Strength In Trauma?

The following is different from what I envisioned as my first blog post. I saw more of a happy-go-lucky intro post, but when I saw a meme today on social media, I felt the need to comment.

The meme said this:

“Trauma doesn’t make people stronger. It damages their nervous system. It hijacks their digestive tract. It keeps the person in a constant loop of hypervigilance. To tell someone they are stronger because of trauma is to deny what it has cost them to survive.”

While I don't wholly disagree with this statement, trauma indeed impacts numerous individuals, and each person copes with it in their way.

I am no stranger to trauma. Many people have had the same, spoken and unspoken. I certainly suffered from anxiety and stomach issues. The one thing I'm afraid I must disagree with is that telling them they are strong creates a negative influence. Saying they are stronger because of the trauma does not mean the trauma is going unacknowledged. It could be something, in the beginning, that helps them get to a place where they can find other options to overcome it. It certainly did with me.

Personally, I found methods that worked for me. Again, each person is different, and there are various techniques to help. I worked with a therapist and learned to accept and acknowledge the trauma. I took educational and spiritual classes to help me understand myself better. I studied how to meditate to find an inner calm. I connected with others who helped me throughout my life and taught me to dig deeper and face my fears. By doing these things, I learned how my trauma affects others, my relationships, and my decisions. By making changes, I began the process of healing. I am still healing and will continue to do so.

Do I still have issues I deal with because of my past trauma? Yes! I continue to learn from this and write as a creative outlet. (Something I learned along the way).

Do I allow it to rule my life and keep me in a state of fear and anxiety? No! Living in fear kept me in the muck for so long. I now look at life as an adventure and an opportunity to grow.

Am I a victim? Absolutely not! I am a survivor, a warrior, and a remarkable woman who does not let her past dictate her future.

Over the years, I learned to pay attention to what happens in my life, how I react to situations that trigger my trauma, acknowledge my feelings, and do what is necessary to grow and change from them. I know this will be an ongoing process, and if where I am now is any indication, I will get better and better every day.

I am sure many of you have asked yourself or have been asked by someone else: If you could go back and change your past, would you?

In the past, my answer was yes. In the present, my answer is no. All things, good and bad, that happened in my life made me who I am today. I am proud of who I have become and will continue to become. I am ever-evolving, and even though there are still hard times, sadness, and regrets, there is also love, peace, and joy.

This is my hope to all of you who are hurt from trauma:

Here’s to overcoming the trauma and hardships in your life, finding your true self inside all the muck, and creating positive change and growth.