heal psychological damage

Why do animals like tigers, dogs, and cats have the ability to be aware of their body injuries and prioritize healing those injuries, while we seem to lose that ability? I will share a topic about psychological wounds that need healing. There is a very familiar and cute story about a tiger, where when a tiger is hunting and gets injured, its instinct will know that it is hurt. The tiger will then automatically abandon all food-seeking activities to return to a safer den and lick the wound for many days, even weeks, until the wound heals before it resumes hunting and looking for food. Animals have that instinct, so the question is, what about us? In our lives, we have many emotional wounds that make us feel pain. These wounds can be even more painful than the broken bones of a tiger. They are wounds in our souls - loneliness, despair, guilt - causing us pain and breakdown. However, we either do not realize or realize but do not prioritize taking time and space to truly heal the wound. So, the first question is why animals like tigers, dogs, and cats have the ability to perceive their wounds and prioritize healing, while we lose that ability. From my perception and experience, there are two fundamental reasons. Firstly, when the tiger in the story is physically injured, it is easy to recognize and treat. If we have similar physical wounds like bleeding, cuts, sprains, or broken bones, we will seek immediate support. So, if we have the ability to recognize physical wounds, we can definitely prioritize healing them. But emotional and psychological wounds within our souls are harder to see. We are in pain, but we do not see or understand our pain, and those around us cannot see our pain either, so we do not realize and prioritize healing. The second reason, which is much more important, is the modern society we live in today distracts us. When we feel sad, we now have too many instant healing medications to soothe the emotional and mental wounds immediately. We have many funny articles on Facebook to read, jokes, and funny videos on YouTube, TikTok to instantly soothe the wounds at that moment. We have become addicted to that instant entertainment instead of delving deep inside to face, understand, and heal the source of those wounds. The habit of spending too much time with technological products has also made us neglect those around us, failing to notice the loneliness, suffering, and pain of our fathers, mothers, partners, or friends, which comes from today's modern lifestyle. Therefore, we can see that young people today are no longer hungry for physical needs but rather hunger for emotional and mental fulfillment.

Therefore, Based on my own experience, I will share 6 signs to listen to your body and emotions, and recognize any psychological wounds that need healing. If my sharing can be helpful and assist you, please share it with those in need so they can heal.

Firstly, what is psychological trauma?

It is the result of a major event that causes you to experience high levels of stress and pressure, sometimes beyond what you can endure. It can also be the result of repeated exposure to smaller events over a long period of time. This often happens when you lose a loved one or a significant relationship, or when you experience rejection, neglect, or abuse during your formative years.

The first sign of unresolved past trauma is when you have a tendency to doubt when good things happen in your life. Suddenly everything seems too good and you start worrying if there will be any disaster following it. When someone acts kindly, politely, and helps you, you start worrying if they have any expectations or ulterior motives. This behavior is linked to a past event that has caused you to believe that you don't deserve to be happy, making you feel guilty and unworthy of happiness.

The second sign is that you tend to plan meticulously for everything in your life. You always want to be in control and feel uncomfortable when things don't go as expected. While it's important to have clear plans and specific goals, when you plan too meticulously and expect everything to always go according to your plan, it shows that you have experienced a past crisis. This crisis left you feeling desperate, stuck, and lonely, not knowing how to overcome it. This experience has made you strive for perfection and control to protect yourself from future uncertainty.

The third sign is that you have a huge fear of failure. Nobody wants to fail, but if your fear of failure surpasses your desire to conquer and succeed, it can be concerning. This fear can take away many opportunities in your life and stifle your creativity and desire to excel. This behavior stems from our tendency to constantly criticize ourselves for our mistakes in the past. As a child, if you were not able to do something perfectly, others would focus on what you couldn't do instead of acknowledging your efforts and successes. This can create a deep-seated fear of making mistakes, being criticized, and ultimately sabotaging your chances of success in the future.

Sign number four, this sign may sound a bit illogical at first, but it actually makes perfect sense. Individuals with a strong fear of success tend to excel in their endeavors but give up just as they are about to achieve success. They perform well in their work and life, but something internally causes them to suddenly lose motivation and abandon their efforts at the final moment. This stems from psychological wounds associated with the loss of a loved one or a significant relationship in the past. I heard a story from a friend that perfectly aligns with what I mentioned earlier – very talented, very confident. One day, during a game, they put in a lot of effort to win, and when they returned home full of joy to share the good news, they found out their mother had passed away. From that moment on, they couldn't stop blaming themselves, thinking, "I tried too hard, I tried to win, I came back late and missed seeing my mother one last time, and maybe my striving for success caused her death."

The fifth sign is being a "slave of the times". They eagerly help others but hesitate to ask for help themselves, feeling unworthy and believing they are a burden to others. This behavior is often a result of psychological trauma from constant rejection and lack of support when needed. This low self-esteem is a result of past experiences of being neglected or abused. These experiences shape the personality of someone with low self-esteem.

The sixth sign is being comfortable with outsiders but easily getting annoyed with loved ones. Over time, you may realize that those who are hurting tend to unintentionally hurt others, especially close ones. They try to appear okay, but eventually release their pain onto those closest to them. They then tend to avoid loved ones and isolate themselves, causing more harm in their private spaces. This behavior is often seen in individuals with a history of abuse, who may end up hurting others. Understanding and healing these emotional wounds can benefit future relationships.

It may not be possible to address all these emotional wounds in this article, but the most important step in overcoming them is to acknowledge and accept that you are hurting. This is crucial, even though it may be the hardest part of healing from emotional wounds. Two things to keep in mind when facing your emotional wounds are not to exaggerate them and not to diminish their significance. Eventually, you will realize that these wounds are like physical cuts - they all have remedies and healing methods. Do not neglect them just because they seem minor, as they can become infected. Take proactive steps to heal your wounds when they are still fresh, as healing will be much easier then. Take a moment now to listen to yourself and reflect on all the signs to gain a deeper understanding of yourself. And finally, have a day full of energy!