The Many Masks of Childhood Trauma and How They Affect Healing
Peggy Oliveira We all do it. Sometimes it’s deliberate and sometimes we aren’t aware at all…
We may have several masks we wear depending on who we’re around or how we believe we “should” behave.
There’s the mask of smiles or humor. The mask of confidence or independence. The mask of perfectionism or containment. The mask of being “fine” or happy. The list goes on.
There are times they can be quite helpful in our lives, like when we need to compartmentalize or protect ourselves from disapproving reactions to what lies under the mask.
But, these masks become such a “normal” part of how we show up, that we lose touch with who we are underneath… the truth of who we are.
And, the people we have in our lives only get to know the mask we choose to show them.
The path to healing requires connection. We can only be truly connected when we allow our true selves to be seen.
In this video I share more about how and why we wear the masks, the impact it has on our sense of self and our relationships, and how to begin to release the need to wear them.
What are some of the masks you wear? It might be just one or many. I’d love to hear from you.
You can watch the video below or on YouTube by clicking HERE. If you prefer to listen as a podcast, you can do that HERE.
Link to the poem: click HERE
Categories: Blog, Impact of Trauma and Emotional Wounding