How to heal from childhood trauma -blog post

[salto]

You cannot heal from childhood trauma by reading a blog post.
But here are some thoughts from a trauma-survivor on her way of recovery:
https://healingptsdtrauma.com/post/heal-from-childhood-trauma

"Like many survivors after childhood traumas, I tried to figure out what was expected of me.
In an unsafe environment, that's a necessary tactic. But in real life, it can mess up a lot of things.
And I guess that's one factor that messed up one of my first therapies.
Luckily, I got another chance. This time with a lady who handed the responsibility over to me.
She didn't try to fix me. Instead, she was the guide, the advisor, the Gandalf on my journey. "

[woodsgnome]

Thanks, Salto, for spotting and then sharing this.

There's several good points here, and one very hard part -- taking responsibility. I was so tired of hearing that as a kid, but it wasn't the same. At all. Back then, it was a sort of catch-all saying meaning nothing, except maybe a way of to say "you've already failed, and you always will, it's all your fault so give in, and stay that way ..."  This would only reinforce the negative stuff that had already happened.

One of the keys in this article was, for me, re-discovering the true role of a therapist -- not to fix, but to help to the best of their ability. I'm fortunate in that regard, but it took a long time (and several therapists before her). Something kept me feeling there must be some T out there I could trust to work with me -- not top-down or from some lofty smart perch but someone who can listen, advise, nudge, witness, and share. Still, in the end, it's my responsibility to follow up on what we find together, remembering it's still up to me to follow through on.

That said, I've also found myself at some false starts -- 1) relying--or wanting to rely-- on her too much and 2)thinking I've made good progress only to find I'm still stuck in trauma-land. 'Work in progress' applies ten-fold. 'Recovery' is also, as pointed out, like a journey into a vast wilderness -- we get lost, confused, frustrated, but we also somehow find another path and a re-lit candle helping navigate the next turn.

Thanks again, Salto.