Trauma can be defined in may ways and a lot of different things can be understood by this term. However, such symptoms as persistent feelings of shame, inability to feel one’s worth and dignity, low self- esteem, and various other symptoms – for example, psychosomatic illnesses like inability to sleep well or eat normally, may be a a sign of some difficult events that had taken place in the past.

A single traumatic event experienced in adult life will certainly cause less devastation in one’s psyche than repeatedly happening traumatic events over a course of years that became ?a norm? in childhood years. Living in conditions such as as child neglect or abuse, sexual or physical violence, is extremely devastating for a person, and it’s consequences may persist through entire life.

Moreover, if some topics have always been forbidden to bring up at home, some questions have never been allowed to even think of – more and more symptoms may develop – because some things can never be forgotten. If there have always been some family mysteries which couldn’t and cannot see the daylight, symptoms like addictions, eating disorders, psychoses or psychosomatic illnesses, and many others, may serve as ?out-speakers? of the past events.

Children who were brought up in an atmosphere of threat ever present at home – usually need help, even later on as adults – to get over their past traumas and start healing their wounds. This may be a process of recovery through dealing with shame, guilt, and fear, as well as regaining their dignity, and feeling relief from suffering and pain.

What are flashbacks?
Flashbacks are connected with past trauma. These are coming back and reoccurring memories or imagined things, not wanted by the person who experiences them. They have a form of images, and appear on and on in front of the eyes of the person – like a nightmare. Flashbacks are usually something one would like to forget about, not to think about it, but they keep coming as haunting thoughts from a bad dream. These can be either real memories or imagined scenes that have never happened. A person suffering from this type of thoughts can wish to escape them, can make efforts to make them disappear and leave him or her alone, but such thoughts come back relentlessly and do not let her/him have a peaceful and calm life. If such a situation persists, it is worth looking for help, so as to go through the way leading to inner freedom being accompanied by professional support.

Author: Agnieszka Guzowska