When
we experience a negative event, which is stressful, abusive, unexpected, out of
our control or happens regularly, we give it the term “trauma”. Devastating traumatic
experiences will cause permanent damage in our soul, which medical
practitioners call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This will often cause people
to exhibit eccentric and sometimes abusive behavior.
Trauma
colors our view of life, blows current events out of proportion and causes
suspicion, insecurity and fear. We are permanently stuck in a flight or fight
mode in dealing with life. Our soul uses anger, depression, insomnia,
nightmares, anxiety, mistrust, unpredictable behavior, physical ailments and
sometimes self-inflicted injury to attempt to protect our self from future
abuse.
The
effects of trauma not only upsets those of us who suffered the ordeal, but we
also traumatize the significant others in our life, when they unwittingly
scratch the covering off these deep-seated, emotional wounds. Our negative response
to current issues is much more intense than the problem warrants and people wonder
why. We may react in intense anger or physical blows to protect our self from
perceived injustices.
Putting
time and space between us and the people or events, which continually trigger
our pain will help us to calm down and get in touch with the reality of the
present moment. We can take a walk, go for a drive, sit alone to journal or
spend the night at a friend’s house. Then, we can go home with a clear mind and
brainstorm with our significant others on how to prevent these flare-ups in the
future.
They
can help us by realizing that our over-reaction is prompted when their behavior
causes us to flash back to the pent up pain in our soul. This way, they will
not take our reactions personally and they will dwell with us with
understanding; they will help us to calm down and see the reality in the
situation; they will stop their behavior, which triggers our past pain; and they
will provide us with patience, unconditional love and a calm, stable environment.
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for revealing to us the lies, which Satan planted in every one
of those negative events in our past, and for speaking Your truth, which
displaces those lies in our soul and sets us free from the pain and effects of
the trauma we experienced (
www.theophostic.com ). Your Spirit helps us
to put the trauma of our past and the current behavior of others into an
eternal perspective, so it will not bother us so much.
You
also teach us not to judge other people who get on our nerves, who do not
respect our boundaries or whose behavior makes us feel abused or misunderstood.
Remind us to allow You to use us to pour out Your love and understanding on
these wounded individuals, and thank You for putting people into our life who
help us to heal from the trauma of our own past.
Thought
for the Day:
Negative
emotions in our soul, signal an issue, which we need to bring to God for
healing or for repentance and surrender.
