A starting point to healing
(Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional. These are just insights I’ve gained from my own healing journey.)
Healing. Most of us have experienced some traumatic event in our lives that has left us cold, sour, remorseful, or heartbroken. Amongst other emotions, these feelings can often leave us carrying weight – or baggage – that makes it hard for us to move forward.
In what seems like eons ago, I was on my way out of my hometown and into another city to attend a university. I wanted to get far away from the weight I was carrying that had put me in a dark place. I was seeking to escape the pain I had experienced, and I was seeking to escape the one who brought it upon me - I was seeking to escape myself.
Trauma can come in all forms, but I believe holding onto traumatic events or even our early upbringings can do more detriment to our health than anything else.
It might take another life event to unveil the wounds that we try to cover, hide, or just have buried, but at some point, I think facing ourselves and our truth can be a starting point for our healing journey.
So how do you start to heal?
1. Take a good look in the mirror
Examine yourself to see where you are hurting. Is it from a past mistake? Did it come from another person? Let these questions guide you into discovering a starting point.
2. Ask yourself why?
When you find the source (or one of the sources) of your pain, ask yourself why it hurts so bad when you look at this memory or mental image. When you discover why it affects you this way you can then help yourself find the remedy.
3. The remedy.
The remedy really does come from you. As I walked through my own healing journey I found that what I needed first was to face what I didn’t want to face. Then, when I faced it, I discovered the truth. And it was the truth that set me free.
Let this be a sign to start or a starting point for your healing journey. Healing takes time, but all of us can and must start somewhere.
Let me know if this inspired you in the comments!
