It is very difficult having to deal with the debilitating effects of trauma on a daily basis.\u00a0 Imagine someone living their lives to the fullest and all of a sudden, something unexpectedly happens.\u00a0 They could either witness or become a victim to a crime or an accident of any sort.\u00a0 They may possibly find themselves stuck in a natural disaster.\u00a0 They are in a state of shock and terror as the traumatic moment happens.\u00a0 It gets to a point where the person becomes frozen in fear.\u00a0 Then, having to relive the moment over and over for a very long time replaying the moments in their head.\u00a0 Not only does it take a toll on a person\u2019s mental, emotional and physical health, but it can lead to harming themselves as well as their loved ones and other people.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecovery from trauma is a long process and can often feel both daunting and overwhelming\u201d (Rousseau, 2024).\u00a0 However, not all hope is lost as we become more informed about the effects of it.\u00a0 \u201cAlthough no treatment has been shown to be effective for all people who are exposed to trauma, there are several that have evidence-based efficacy\u201d (Rousseau, 2024).\u00a0 We have discussed multiple approaches to addressing trauma this semester, stemming from medications to gender-responsive approaches.\u00a0 There is one we have talked about in class that I would like to discuss in particular, mindfulness.<\/p>\n
Mindfulness is defined as \u201cthe awareness that arises when paying attention to the present moment nonjudgmentally\u201d (Kabat-Zinn & Hanh, 2009).\u00a0 It enables the person to be more aware of thoughts that can lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms.\u00a0 In addition, this technique shifts their focus into something more positive.\u00a0 Practicing mindfulness on a continuous basis can help the individual concentrate more on physical feelings and regulating their emotions.\u00a0 Not only does it bring awareness to thoughts occurring at the exact moment, but it lessens the severity of the negative impact that traumatic events have on the individual.<\/p>\n
People have different ways of practicing this technique.\u00a0 \u201cMindfulness puts us in touch with the transitory nature of our feelings and perceptions\u201d (van der Kolk, 2014, p. 209).\u00a0 It can start from practicing breathing techniques, where the individual shifts their attention to their breathing patterns.\u00a0 Meditation is another technique that blends in well with mindfulness, as it helps the person clear their thoughts and deepen their connection with the body, mind and soul.\u00a0 One other way of utilizing mindfulness in dealing with trauma is learning to accept the experience they endured.\u00a0 Through acceptance, it encourages resilience in the individual and helps them to become stronger as they continue to live their lives.<\/p>\n
From a personal experience, I have come to find that practicing mindfulness techniques has a wide range of benefits when it comes to mental health.\u00a0 As someone who practices this technique on a regular basis, it alleviates stress and it does help to regularly control your emotions.\u00a0 Practicing mindfulness helps with clearing your mind and you do tend to focus more on your breathing patterns.\u00a0 Taking at least 5 – 10 minutes of your time to practice this skill makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n
To conclude this post, traumatic events change a person\u2019s life in many different ways.\u00a0 It causes the individual to have a negative perspective because they will never be the same after experiencing such event.\u00a0 When the individual opens up to engaging in mindful techniques, it encourages them to accept the things they cannot change in the past.\u00a0 They learn to live with what occurred and become stronger in coping with the traumatic event.\u00a0 \u201cMindfulness not only makes it possible to survey our internal landscape with compassion and curiosity, but can also actively steer us in the right direction for self-care\u201d (van der Kolk, 2024, p. 284).\u00a0 By forming that connection within, it helps the person with self-reflection and knowing that they are stronger and more resilient than they initially thought.\u00a0 \u201cIt is important to remember that a first and crucial step to recovering from trauma is to reduce the symptoms that result, allowing for a deeper healing experience\u201d (Rousseau, 2024).\u00a0 Just remember that mindfulness may not fix the problem right away.\u00a0 But with time, persistence and patience, it will pay off in the long run.<\/p>\n
Rousseau, D. (2024). Module 4: Pathways to Recovery: Understanding Approaches to Trauma Treatment. Boston University MET CJ 720. Blackboard.<\/p>\n
Kabat-Zinn, J., & Hanh, T. N. (2009).\u00a0Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness<\/em>. Delta.<\/p>\n van der Kolk, B. A (2014).\u00a0The body keeps the score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma<\/em>. https:\/\/ci.nii.ac.jp\/ncid\/BB19708339<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is very difficult having to deal with the debilitating effects of trauma on a daily basis.\u00a0 Imagine someone living their lives to the fullest and all of a sudden, something unexpectedly happens.\u00a0 They could either witness or become a victim to a crime or an accident of any sort.\u00a0 They may possibly find themselves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24388,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2908"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2908"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2913,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2908\/revisions\/2913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/daniellerousseau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}