I often get asked the question from therapy clients as to whether talking about the traumatic experiences that happened in their past could be helpful to them. My answer is always yes and no.
Trauma therapy could be likened to treating a physical wound. To heal, we must find and address the root cause, even if it means temporarily experiencing more pain. While surface treatments might provide short-term relief, they don't resolve the underlying issue. Trauma therapy goes deeper, promoting lasting healing by tapping into the mind's natural ability to recover, much like how our bodies heal physical wounds.
Talking about past traumatic events bring them to the surface which can be challenging if we have spent much effort and time pushing away these images, thoughts and memories. This means we may think about the trauma more often, dream more about the past events and be more triggered into anxiety in our day to day lives. Although this can be difficult to deal with, this is, in fact, a natural part of the healing process and it is our mind trying to make sense of, process and store differently the traumatic memories. This intensity does have an end and many people who go through trauma treatment at the end feel less overwhelmed by their past, less overwhelmed by their emotions and more able to be in their day to day lives. With the right therapy and support talking about and softening the long held narratives of self-blame can be achieved. The intrusive images, smells, and sensations begin to fade into the background.
Trauma therapies like EMDR can help reduce the intensity of intrusive memories and emotional responses when past trauma is triggered, making it easier to live with. While therapy won't erase the past, it can help in healing and moving forward from the pain.