4 Trauma Responses That Can Actually Help You In Life
Everyone has some traits they consider good about themselves and some they consider bad. At least, they should have both, as knowing these sides of yourself shows healthy self-awareness, humility, but also confidence in one's personality.
Those who have been through trauma, though, might struggle with this concept. They get so hung up on the more negative aspects of themselves (as the trauma taught them to do), so much so that they can't see anything good. There's always good to be seen, even within the bad, just like these traits that can be spun and seen as a helpful aspects of one's self.
Identifying and truly owning one's trauma can be immensely difficult, especially for those who experienced trauma in childhood. It either affected them so deeply or has become so fuzzy in their memory that they struggle to grasp at the facts of it.
Thankfully, there are those wanting to help. This free quiz is meant to not only help you identify the core cause of your childhood traumas, it also provides ways you can heal from those experiences. If you feel ready, it's time to take that first step onto the path of growth today.
Deeply Rooted
For those who have experienced trauma, there's no denying the multitude of scars it can leave behind. Some are hidden, some are obvious, some only appear under circumstances, and some are visible all the time. These scars can be emotional, mental, or physical. They impact us for years after the trauma occurs and take so, so much from us.
But they can grant things too, and though it can be hard to consider something born of trauma as a silver lining, it's true that some traits can even been seen as superpowers.
1. Delivering Results Under Pressure
Many individuals who have endured trauma, particularly those who had to remain relatively 'high functioning' throughout or had to raise themselves during it, are not only able to remain relatively composed when in facing stress (at least on the outside), they're also able to continue delivering exceptional results. They've collected a number of coping skills throughout the years, categorizing them and determining which techniques aid in soothing particular issues of theirs.
These tools empower them when confronted with life's challenges and leave them more capable of handling life's more chaotic moments.
Standing Tall
Trauma survivors possess great emotional strength and rock-solid convictions that allow them to confront obstacles that might leave others feeling overwhelmed. This current stress is nothing compared to the pressure that trauma survivors were once under, so they handle it better.
After a lifetime of being hyper-aware of every potential problem, they're also now able to better anticipate stressful times, often predicting disaster before it strikes and mitigating a lot of the potential damage.
2. Being Able To Spot Danger
Speaking of being hyper-aware, childhood trauma survivors actually develop a heightened capacity to pick up on potential dangers in any situation, picking up on subtle cues that determine someone or somewhere is a threat to their safety. This heightened awareness, born out of necessity during their early experiences, equips them with the awareness needed to remain shielded in future social situations.
Trauma survivors possess an acute intuition and finely tuned instincts when it comes to recognizing toxic and narcissistic individuals. They've subconsciously trained themselves to analyze micro-expressions, recognize patterns of behavior, and even spot gestures that could point to someone being a danger. They can point out traits that will later turn into red flags if left unchecked.
Sounding The Alarm
However, it's crucial to distinguish between healthy intuition and hypervigilance, as the latter can spiral into paranoia. Their enhanced abilities can be invaluable in identifying toxic people and safeguarding their well-being, as long as they trust themselves and don't allow fear to rule their thought process. These are skills that are meant to help, not hinder.
Because they're able to spot inauthenticity, trauma survivors are also able to spot honesty, which means they also foster deeper connections with those close to them. It's not just a defense tool, it's a communication tool, too.
3. Being Able To Be Alone
Trauma survivors are forced to rely on their own strength and resourcefulness time and time again to rescue themselves from perilous situations. They have to constantly save themselves, meaning they have plenty of experience experimenting with different problem-solving techniques. This relentless self-reliance, born from necessity, shapes them into a resilient individual capable of overcoming tremendous challenges.
For some trauma survivors, self-isolation became a means of self-preservation. This period of solitude served as a means of discovering themselves, allowing them to learn the art of self-validation and self-reliance. While social support plays a crucial role in the healing journey, the ability to be alone holds its own unique power in soothing the nervous system and fostering personal growth.
Safety In Solitude
A survivors capacity to be comfortable in solitude grants them a profound understanding of the complexities surrounding toxic relationships. They intimately grasp what it's like to be trapped in a relationship or situation from which escape seems impossible. This means they really value time alone where they can feel truly safe. Because it's so important to them, they're able to recognize when someone else is demanding all of their time and thus stressing them out.
In essence, their experiences as a trauma survivor have forged an unshakable belief in the self, a deep appreciation for solitude, and an acute sense of discernment in recognizing those who truly contribute positively to your well-being, all very useful when protecting their peace.
4. They're Extremely Resilient
Trauma survivors often exhibit remarkable resilience, enabling them to stage incredible comebacks from lives full of adversity. Some even undergo profound post-traumatic growth, a testament to the indomitable human spirit. However, amidst these displays of strength, it's essential to exercise caution, ensuring that they don't become so resilient that they inadvertently overlook the dangers of toxic situations due to desensitization.
This resilience can be harnessed adaptively to propel trauma survivors toward success, contribute to a greater good that they feel passionately about, and facilitate personal healing. Their capacity for bouncing back can be complemented by establishing healthy boundaries and the ability to sever ties with those who might inflict further pain.
Gifting Themselves Joy
For some trauma survivors, they're in constant fear that their struggles, even if they've largely overcome them, will lead to a shorter life. They think that stress will do them in, or an anxiety they harbor will come to life. This fear can manifest as an inability to plan for the future or even a sense that life is not worth living. This is perhaps the most important time for them to exercise compassion toward themselves.
They'll need to set aside time to consider all the positive experiences they deserved but were unjustly denied, having been stolen from them, and see how they can grant themselves that pleasure now. Trauma survivors unequivocally deserve to embrace life to the fullest, to heal, and to thrive. They can acknowledge their pain while steadfastly fixing their gaze on the bright future that beckons, a future brimming with the goodness and fulfillment that they have always deserved.
You Deserve To Heal
Let's be clear here. Just because some of the traits you developed due to trauma can be helpful, that doesn't mean you have to think of that trauma as a good thing, nor do you have to be grateful for it. You still didn't deserve to experience such hardship.
All this does is help reframe your thoughts a little and provide some comfort in knowing that it wasn't just doom and suffering that came of those times. You learned, you've grown, and you will continue to grow, just as you will continue to heal.
A common effect of trauma is a loss of confidence, and that's something that can be extremely difficult to build back up. It can help to have a guiding hand in this regard, one like this audio program meant to help people just like you.
Take a free listen today and see just how powerful these affirmations are, and see how they can boost your confidence back up to unseen heights. You deserve to live with boldness and bravery, listen in today.
