It won’t happen to me may be applied to many situations, but it always seems to be something that happens to someone else, except when it happens to us.
Things don’t usually happen to us… right? They happen to someone else. We read other people’s stories in the media, then we forget about them as we go about our lives. We assume we’re immune, it’s not something we may think about.
Things do happen to us
It is only when it happens to us that we realise we’re not immune, we’ve just been lucky. We never actually think it will happen to us. For example, if we stopped to think about the effects of smoking cigarettes, how many of us would continue to smoke, even though we know it’s an addiction and we could get cancer?
My family’s traumatic experiences with the assault have given me a different way to think. Yes, when trauma happens, it helps if we can see our life in a less blinkered way. It has opened my eyes to what’s out there and that sadly, none of us are immune.
I think we have a natural disposition to believe that things will not happen to us.
Unfortunately they do and when they do it is more often than not a very painful and bitter experience, but one which we can learn from nonetheless.
I agree with you that when something big happens to us, it's usually a painful and bitter experience which takes time to work its way through.
We do of course learn from those experiences, but it's usually when we've come through the other end.
I grew up in a world where we had to deal with bad things happening to us quite often, so I very quickly learned how to be hyper-vigilant.
Most people can't fathom the worst things that people can do to each other, since they probably haven't ever really been in any dangerous places.
It makes it nearly impossible for me to enjoy being out in the world, which can be a major problem when I want to go out to have some fun. May be someday I will be able to get over my trauma and be able to get out there to have a life once again.
I think there is a lot of truth in what you say Randy. For those of us who are protected from the world, it's very difficult to know how to deal with trauma regardless of who it happens to in the family.
I hope in time you will be able to go out and have some fun Randy. It's something you deserve to have and hope it happens soon.
Yes, I think this is the mentality of a lot of people.
Some people do get by without a scratch, but then there are those that get hurt and really learn to appreciate what they have in their life.
I don't take things for granted anymore because of my health problems and the problems my clients' face everyday.
Having a serious illness sometimes will make a difference in someone's life. Sometimes it won't make any difference at all. They will just live their life as usual, no matter the cost.
I agree.