From Shadows to Sunshine: Finding Forgiveness and Healing
Hello Trauma Community. I am Remina. I want to talk about the importance of forgiving yourself after experiencing trauma. I have personally dealt with shame and such feelings, and know that as a trauma survivor, it is not so uncommon to deal with misplaced blame and guilt, even though trauma is never our fault. Forgiving ourselves is a dynamic step towards healing and recovering your peace. I know it seems contradictory and like it doesn't make sense but forgiveness after trauma can be the fundamental first step needed in the journey. Traumatically impacted individuals often wrestle with feelings of guilt and shame, making this self-forgiveness a key component in recovering.
Self-forgiveness involves understanding and addressing the deep-seated self-blame and negative emotions that arise from traumatic experiences. The path towards forgiveness is unique to you as it is personal and can be challenging. The first step is having the courage to acknowledge and sit with your pain, truly feel it, and understand the roots of your pain.
I am going to share some helpful resources I found when I was looking up this topic, but I am also going to summarize some steps that might help with your journey before sharing these resources.
The first step is to acknowledge your feelings. It is beneficial to recognize and accept your emotions, no matter how painful they may be. It is okay to feel hurt, angry, or sad. These emotions are a natural part of the healing process.
The next step is to take time to try to understand the trauma you have experienced. Take the time to reflect on the events and how the events affected you. This step can help you gain insight into your reactions and behaviors.
It is important to practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the kindness you would show someone else. Remember you are HUMAN and it is normal to struggle with difficult experiences. Be gentle with yourself as you plot your healing journey.
Additionally, I encourage you to seek support. This support can be friends, family, or a therapist who provides a safe and supportive environment for you to share your feelings and experiences. It can even be a Listener here on 7cups. Just talking about your trauma can be very healing.
The forgiveness I mentioned earlier involves letting go of any self-blame and accepting that you did the best you could under the circumstances. Understand that you are not responsible for any of the trauma that happened to you.
Also focus on personal growth. Use your experience as an opportunity for personal growth. Reflect on what you have learned and how you are now stronger. Embrace the changes and resilience that has come from your healing journey.
I recommend practicing mindfulness and relaxation. This healing journey can be stressful, so engaging in mindfulness practices like deep breathing, can help calm your mind and keep you present and connected to your emotions.
It is recommended to create a healing ritual that symbolizes your journey towards self-forgiveness and healing. This can be as simple as writing a letter to yourself, creating art, or spending time in nature.
This next one I can't stress enough. I recommend boundaries. Establish healthy boundaries to protect yourself from further harm and create a safe space for healing. This can be setting limits with people or situations that trigger negative emotions.
Finally, during this healing journey, don't forget to celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Every step you take towards forgiving yourself is a significant achievement on your healing journey.
As I mentioned, I wanted to share some helpful articles I found on the internet that I feel might be beneficial reading.
10 Ways to Cultivate Self-Forgiveness as a Trauma Survivor
Forgiveness After Trauma: 7 Practical Steps For Embracing Forgiveness And Healing
Forgiving Yourself for Ways You Coped After Trauma
What are some materials you have read that have helped you during your healing journey?
What are some advice you have been given or wish you had been given during your journey that might help someone else going through their own journey?
@Remina thank you so much remind 💓
@TheNorthstar7
You're welcome 💗
thank you so much for taking the time to write this. this is very important to know. dealing with trauma can be so difficult but this post can help us in many ways. 💜🦋
@Bubbles2025
Definitely! Trauma can be very complicated and personal. I hope that my thread makes it one step easier for everyone dealing with their trauma.
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@Remina
Unforgiveness is like a Cancer it will eat away the flesh from your bones and spread like the California wildfirer
@WorkingitThrough2
That is a great way to phrase it.
Thank you 💗
@sugarcookies7
You're welcome x
@Remina thank you for sharing this post with us all💖 I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself 🙁 I have a psychologist who is very nice and has pretty much been telling me a lot of things write in your post. But I think the trauma is to deep to forgive 🙁 but thankyou💖 gives you a giant tiny hug 💗
@Tinywhisper11
@Remina 💖💖
@Remina
What are some materials you have read that have helped you during your healing journey?
The Body Keeps the Score, No Bad Parts
What are some advice you have been given or wish you had been given during your journey that might help someone else going through their own journey?
I learned that holding Bitterness and unforgiveness hurts me and the violator. Releasing the violator frees me. The last part is self-reflection. Examining my own flaws and imperfections.
@WorkingitThrough2
Thank you for sharing! That is some great self reflection. I will look up that reading. I am always looking for more content on this topic.
