08/28/2023
This is a fact and being more compassionate and understanding with each other, but especially ourselves. Is something I thrive for everyday.
There is a lot to unpack here:
Secondary trauma may not seem that big to someone, until you think of their baseline. If someone has experienced abuse, assault (any type of trauma) their body is not at a centered place. They are highly activated because of what was done to them (NOT because they are not handling it well).
In an attempt to ease the dysregulation, they reach out for help. The hope when you reach out in this state is:
-By telling someone, they will find some sort of relief.
-By getting help, the pain of what has happened will lessen.
-By being heard, they can help me address this wound and heal from it.
This is all true. Those ARE the impacts when someone is heard. Those ARE the results when someone is in safe keeping after they have gone through experiences that threaten their well-being.
Now, what about when they are not met with compasison and undertsanding? The original wound is now masked behind further threat because they are trying to navigate how to say it better so they are understood. Or they say it to more people, with the hopes they find relief. Or, to defend, defend, defend, because they are in an environment that isn’t concerned with how much they are hurting.
It’s not just about the reaction. It’s about the state of their vulnerability when they reached out for help.
Getting wounded by reaching out for help is it’s own hell.
To those with these experiences:
This was never about you. We live in a world where people crave power, and the way power works is to hide what happens behind the scenes that would require transparency, vulnerability…truth. In my experience, there are more people who would rather bow to denial and secrets than know how much other people are hurting.
You were brave to reach out for help.
You were not too much.
It was not your fault, and you deserve to be heard.
�Let today be a shift where you name additional pain that came from you needing (and asking for) help as brave and vulnerable. Regardless of how poorly you were met, you were brave and vulnerable and I hope you own that and it helps you heal.
*****If you would like to work with me, click the linktr.ee/natepost and grab a spot in my online community (registration opens Friday, Sept 1).
*****While you are there, grab the two free ebooks on inner child work and trauma recovery.
If you relate to this post, can you simply type out “Me” so other people know how common this experience is. That validation matters.
I’m so glad you are here! 🫶🫶✨✨