Self Compassion as Imperative for Trauma Survivors
But first, the somatic battle, the war within--
It is so important to practice self-compassion.
That’s a universal statement, for certain. Some of us tend to need to hear this more than others.
But, it is absolutely indispensable for trauma survivors.
We often times can’t practice self love and self acceptance; we don’t know how to do self compassion, because of teh trauma.
Trauma changes our brain sizes, its neurochemicals/the chemistry, our nervous systems, our very DNA.
Set with that—that’s how powerful trauma is.
We can’t simply think our way out of it. With self love.
We want to, but it doesn’t work that way.
Instead, this is what trauma does—we feel broken and shamed.
Trauma is really good at telling lies to ourselves and being believable, in these lies and irrational thinking that our bodies and minds believe—even when we know better. Even when it makes sense that we need to be kind to ourselves, even when we would tell other people that, friends and families, our dearest, beloved ones.
Yet, so often, we trauma survivors, those with affected brains and nervous systems, who haven’t undergone somatic healing, we struggle or fail to put the self-compassion into practice.
We can read all the things—affirmations, guide books on self love, or try to treat ourselves with self care, and dedicate time and money to it—a little purchase that makes us feel happy, massage, spa day, etc.
And yet-
If we really don’t believe it within ourselves, our bodies and spirits—that we worthy of self compassion—then our minds will not compute and feel it. And ultimately, it won’t DO it. We won’t embody it.
Trauma survivors need someone to bear witness to our stories, to hear us, to be heard.
Trauma survivors need to practice self compassion.
But the only way we can really do that and absorb both of these, for maximum benefits of trauma healing and growth—
Is first—we need to be able to metabolize our pain and process our trauma. We need somatic healing to calm the fuck down.
Otherwise, we may be trying to retrain our brains indefinitely and running in constant circles, because our mind and body are still at war within us.
