Perspectives on shame, trauma and recovery

The following comment comes from a reader who reacted to a recent post of mine on why I believe Post Traumatic Stress should not be called a disorder but a set of symptoms which are actually reactive in nature.   It highlights how, by being open and associating with those who also have endured trauma we can heal feelings of aloneness and disconnection.   Traumatic experiences can then be a wake up call or learning experience that may help us grow in awareness.  We need the support of others in this process.  Thank you HippieBea for this comment.

One thing I Learned sometime ago in an actual Trauma Group ( during one of my MANY hospitalizations in the “Cracker Factories”~ a term I picked up from an old Natalie Wood movie and ran with it~) was that each and every patient regardless of What trauma(s) experienced Felt, Perceived and Reacted exactly like ME!! That was HUGE because one of the toughest part of it all was feeling like I was ALONE and NoOne felt as I did. It was liberating!!
Labels….UGH they are self limiting and judgmental imho. Those of us who have endured Trauma(s) and the resulting “fallout” ARE reacting in Survival mode and I would Love to be a part of opening up Minds….

That sounds Great!! I have come to a place where I can Finally “see the LIGHT at the end of the tunnel”!! It has most certainly been one heck of an arduous JOURNEY. I quite literally had to be resuscitated on 3 different occasions and one of them the EMTs had to work on me for over an hour Before putting me in the ambulance. UGH I am EVER SO Grateful to have managed in spite of myself to Keep on Keepin’ on. I have RELEASED my shame and it has really opened me up!! I now ( I’ll be 60 the 25th) Aware and Accept in my Mind/Body/Spirit that I am a DIVINE BE-ing (still have a few “worthy” bugs to iron out LOL ) and am Grateful for the Blessings (yep Blessings!) that have resulted from my childhood and even adult traumas. WOW I Never thought I could say, much less Believe and FEEL, such a statement. There IS Hope. And back in the day …before i even began kindergarten I knew there was NO Hope for me. Not from any outside source anyway. All is WELL…I AM WELL… and even though I still have flashbacks at from time to time and discover New triggers I can manage them and cope far better these days. Some days it is my mantra….. “This too shall pass” ~and/or ~”I am Not in any Danger” that gets me through. I am Grateful and quite relieved that these are not nearly as often as in the past. Shew…. just Shew.