Is it normal to be depressed while trying to heal from trauma?

"Why do I feel worse since starting therapy? I thought this was supposed to make me feel better." "I knew I should have just left it in the past where it belongs." "What if healing really isn't possible for me?"

These are just a few of the types of things I hear. Both, from those who are afraid of what it could mean to start their journey and those who believe their fears are coming true after embarking on the journey.

Feeling things you've not felt before and thinking in ways you've not thought before is a normal part of therapy. When you've mastered coping mechanisms in a way that helps you keep feelings, thoughts, or memories at a distance, it can seem that things are much worse. But, is this really true?

In my roles as a therapist, mentor, and educator in helping people understand the depth, breadth, and healing of childhood trauma, I think it’s really important,to be honest and upfront about the reality of the process of healing.

This means I often say things people don’t want to hear.

It sometimes means I have to try to slow people down a bit to make sure they don’t overwhelm their system with the eagerness to jump in with everything they have to try to heal quickly.

And, sometimes it means being honest about the reality of things feeling worse after beginning the healing journey. At least until they begin to feel better… and they do… feel so much better.

As long as they can hold on to this one thing…

Categories: : Blog, The Trauma Healing Process