Don't blame yourself for your Emotions: It's Time to Get On Top of It

Many people respond to trauma by repressing it, in an attempt not to notice or give a name to what has happened. The trauma that is pushed/moved aside is manifested through the development of a variety of physical symptoms such as: headaches/migraines, asthma attacks and a wide range of physical pains. Trauma can be represented in many ways, from childhood trauma to issues that have arisen in work. Such as during a war, in your work etc. Thankfully there are people to help, for example you may want to look at Operation Heal America. 

​The price of ignoring trauma or distorting the body's messages is the inability to identify what is really dangerous or harmful, as well as what is safe and nutritious. Self-regulation depends on being able to have a good relationship with your body. Without this you have to rely on external regulation - drugs, drugs, alcohol, compulsive pleasures of others, the need for constant approval and the like. Traumas can affect health in old age in many different ways. Increased mental stress can lead to decreased immune system function and flare-ups of symptoms that existed in the past. Another explanation for physical problems among trauma survivors is the occurrence of an “body memory” experience that causes emotional discomfort associated with a particular organ in the body, which may later manifest itself in physical pain.

The frightening physiological sensations

• Traumatic people are often afraid of their emotions
  
• It is no longer the abuser they are afraid of (hoping they are not harmed in the present) but their bodily sensations have become the enemy.
  
• The fear of being taken over by uncomfortable feelings causes the body to become frozen and the mind to shut down
  
• Although the trauma belongs to the emotional brain it continues to produce feelings that make you feel scared and helpless
  
• Trauma has a wide impact on physical health including the immune system, blood pressure, and cortisol levels
  
• There is evidence that stress and strain following trauma activate the area in the brain that is responsible for emotional regulation
  

Breaking the silenceTrauma victims cannot recover until they become acquaintances and friends with the feelings. To accept it and to break the silence. When you hide things away, the feelings become more intense; that is why there is a saying “a problem shared is a problem halved”. That is why journaling is often a great way to battle anxiety, you can write down your issues to unburden yourself. Being scared means living in a body that is always in a state of alertness, and anxiety. In order to change, human beings need to become aware of their feelings and the way their body interacts with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past:

• As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are at war with yourself
  
• Repression of key emotions consumes a huge amount of energy, prevents you from achieving worthy goals, and leaves emotions closed.