Working Through the Trauma Pt: 2

One of the hardest parts about trauma is that it doesn’t really matter how long ago it happened or how impactful it seemed at the time. Trauma shows up in the present. It lives in triggers those unexpected moments throughout the day that pull you back into old feelings, old reactions, or old fears. Sometimes it shows up as paranoia, that quiet (or loud) sense that what happened before is about to happen again.

And that’s the ugly part.

What matters most isn’t pretending those feelings don’t exist it’s learning healthier ways to face them. Healthier ways to respond instead of react. Healthier ways to bring yourself back into the present so you’re not constantly living in survival mode. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s finding balance and keeping yourself on the healthier side of the spectrum.

I also think it’s important to say this plainly: trauma isn’t avoidable. It’s not something only certain people experience. It’s a part of life and yes, it can really suck. Trauma comes in different shapes and sizes, and it affects everyone differently. What feels traumatic to one person might feel manageable or even insignificant to someone else. And that doesn’t make either experience less valid.

The real work comes in building strength within yourself as you move through life with your trauma not pretending it never happened. Understanding that trauma is something you’ve experienced, not who you are. It’s a chapter in your story, not the entire book.

Healing doesn’t mean erasing the past.

It means learning how to live fully in the present without letting the past control every page moving forward.