Embracing Sensitivity: A Sign of Progress in Trauma Therapy
When you're on the path of trauma recovery and in the midst of therapy, the holiday season can be a unique challenge. While others might be talking about gratitude, joy, and feeling festive, within you, you might be wrestling with feelings of discomfort, heightened sensitivity, and a sense of thin-skinned vulnerability. It's a paradox of early trauma recovery. You've embarked on a courageous journey of healing, and yet, it might feel as though you've taken a step backward.
In the first part of this series, we're going to explore this sensation of feeling more sensitive and thin-skinned. Before you dismiss these feelings as regression, let's dive into why this feeling is a strong indicator of progress.
You're Paying Closer Attention to Yourself
One of the reasons you might feel like you've taken a step backward is because you're now paying closer attention to yourself. Trauma therapy is a transformative process that encourages deep introspection and reconnection to parts of yourself that you’ve been protecting and avoiding. Therapy requires you to explore and evaluate your past, your triggers, and your emotional responses. This heightened self-awareness is a powerful tool for healing, but it can also make you acutely aware of yourself and leave you feeling sensitive.
In the past, you might have been adept at burying your emotions and pushing them aside, but now you're confronting them head-on. You're giving yourself permission to feel, and this process is far from regressive—it's actually a huge step forward. By acknowledging your feelings and giving them the attention they deserve, you're fostering emotional agility and resilience.
You're Able to Identify When You're Triggered
As you navigate the holiday season while in trauma therapy, you may find yourself recognizing triggers more clearly than ever before. It can be unsettling to realize that certain situations, words, people, or actions can set off a whirlwind of emotions within you. You may wonder why, when others seem to be enjoying the festivities, you're struggling to maintain your composure.
The answer lies in your newfound ability to identify these triggers. In the past, you might have been oblivious to the sources of your discomfort. Now, you have the tools and awareness to pinpoint these triggers and work through them. This, in itself, is a remarkable achievement. Instead of reacting impulsively, you're taking a step back, analyzing your responses, and addressing the root causes of your discomfort.
You Aren't Automatically Accepting Other People's Reality as the Truth
One significant shift that can contribute to your feeling more sensitive is your evolving perspective. Before, you might have been inclined to accept other people's reality as the truth, even if it contradicted your own experiences and beliefs. This was a survival mechanism or a way to maintain peace and harmony, even if it meant suppressing your own feelings and needs.
Now, in the midst of trauma therapy, you're challenging this automatic acceptance. You're no longer willing to subdue or ignore your own reality to fit someone else's narrative. You’re not prioritizing someone else’s comfort over your own needs for safety or self-worth. This may lead to clashes or discomfort in your interactions with others, but it's an essential part of your growth. Your willingness to validate your own experiences and emotions is a sign of newfound strength and self-respect.
The sensation of feeling more sensitive or thin-skinned during the holiday season while in trauma therapy is not a sign of regression; it's an indication of your remarkable progress. You're paying closer attention to yourself, identifying your triggers, and no longer automatically accepting other people's reality as the truth. Embracing this sensitivity as a sign of your growing self-awareness is a beautiful step on your journey toward healing.
In the next part of our series, we'll explore the challenges of setting boundaries as you continue your healing journey during the holiday season. Stay tuned for more insights and guidance to help you thrive in this transformative process.