Men who recovered from emotional trauma, how?

8 comments

1. I think the answer will vary a lot from person to person, and what experience traumatized them. I can think of a couple of things, but I never went to therapy or anything. I just let time do its thing. I am not quite the same as I was before, but I can justify that in my mind, at least to some extent.

2. Truly, saying “it be like that” and “simply do not feel it” has gone a long way

3. You have to redefine normal to what your new normal will be. There is no going back to before trauma. Only getting used to it and managing to function day to day.

4. Still working on it mate .I’ll get back to you when I’m done 😅

5. Never went to therapy. I just gritted through it on pure spite and stubbornness, had a lot of personal introspection and refused to admit defeat to anyone (which included in my mind the need of therapy, though it was offered at one point).

6. One thing that really helped me was listening to podcasts – particularly long-form interview shows with celebrities and public figures. Hearing candid stories (stories in which I was so surprised to hear & see so much of myself) from successful people who suffered emotional trauma, fought mental health issues and won, and leveraged the unique perspective that their unpleasant experience gave them to become the people they became.

   It’s the sort of thing I had when I was younger.

7. Practicing self-love. The only way for me to move forward was to accept that what happened to me in the past does not define who I am, or who I can become. Giving myself the attention and energy I used to deplete on others has made a significant difference in not letting the trauma be a controlling factor in my life anymore. When you’re empty, negative thoughts and emotions keep seeping in, keeping the past in the present. When you’re fulfilled because of the hard work you put in on yourself, pride and confidence start to replace humility and the negative thoughts and emotions that accompany trauma.

   I also took the time to talk to a counselor I trusted early on in my journey. As an introvert, it was painful in the beginning but was really a helpful tool in realizing that sometimes my own thoughts could be my own worst enemy. We need to silence our inner critic’s voice from time to time in order to heal and grow.

8. Didn’t try to relive it. Buried it and accepted it for what it was, then move forwards. Also therapy can make things worse, for trauma. They find talk therapy is REALLY bad for PTSD.