Children
have always experienced trauma, but more so in today's society, where they are
considered as an inconvenience, without feelings, and as disposable. Due to trauma
and neglect in our own life, our body and soul learn to expect both abuse and
deprivation as a normal way of life.
Researches
have proven that our past traumatic experiences will program our mind to expect
the worst, to imagine danger where there is none, and to experience post-traumatic
stress disorder because of it.
This
leads to issues in our mental and emotional health, which affect our thoughts
and behavior well into adulthood. Fear, insecurity, resentment, anger and
withdrawn behavior stem from this early mistreatment and disregard.
This
causes us to over-react to current situations that remind us of the past - even
if we have repressed the past into our subconscious mind, or dissociated from
the primary incidents that we lived through.
I
would say that we survived, but many of us where dramatically altered by these
experiences. Many people live in a continual state of the dread of terror, even
if there is no actual reason to feel this anxiety.
We
do not understand why we act in certain ways or feel some of our negative
emotions. This occurs because we detached from the actual memory of the
original negative experience(s), and they cannot heal. Then, this programs our
brain to anticipate danger, failure, shame and abuse.
As
adults, we use addictions, compulsive behaviors, codependency and perfectionism
in an effort to anesthetize our pain, and to prevent a repeat of this
treatment. We live in continual fear, and we are crippled by our insecurities.
We
actually subconsciously believe that we deserve to be punished, and to forfeit
our needs being met. This causes us to neglect our self just as we were
deprived in our past. We put others first, and we overlook our own needs. We
rarely allow our self to experience fun, deep friendships or adventure.
Unless
we find our identity in the Lord, the effects of the trauma in our life result
in delayed mental and emotional maturity, as well as attention deficit,
learning disabilities, toxic anxiety, debilitating fears, and deep-seeded
insecurities.
It
is hard for our brain to follow the dots of cause and effect, and we lash out at
life through addictions, criminal behavior, unresolved illnesses, and abuse of
our own children. Only a union with Christ as our Savior and King can ferret
out our subconscious issues and bring eternal healing to our soul.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us to relax and to enjoy Your provision for us that counteract the
feelings evoked by the pain of our past. Teach us that as we accept, as real
and valid, the wounds which we experienced, we can forgive our perpetrators.
This frees us from bondage to their behavior toward us and from our resentment
over the past, and our fear of the future.
Help
us to find our true identity through Christ in us (Colossians 1:27), and to use
exercise techniques to learn to breathe deeply and to find our balance of body
and mind. Teach us to realize that, as we trust in You with our whole heart, Your
presence in us creates a sense of safety. Remind us that walking in Your Spirit
each moment of the day ensures our success in plans that You have for our life.
We praise and worship You now and always.
Thought
for the Day:
The
main way to heal from the distress that we receive from the traumatic events of
our past, which were forced upon us; and the poor opinion of our self that we
carry with us because of them, is to focus on both our identity in Jesus, which
is as authentic Believers, His Bride, Children of God, and co-heirs with Jesus
to inherit the Kingdom of God, and also on His continual, loving kindness and
grace toward us.
