Unprocessed trauma and grief comes in many forms and one size doesn’t fit all. As a child, I lived with trauma around a disability I didn’t know I had.

It would go on to take me 56 years to work through my own trauma. Since trauma is an emotional response caused by either a single incident or a series of traumatic emotional or psychological events that causes stressed, I have experienced trauma.

Distressing events can be traumatic

Any distressing event can be traumatic, and depending on how someone copes that can be traumatic. I became aware from a very early age that everyone was in mental and emotional denial of my disability. That continued to cause me trauma.

Although I struggled mentally and emotionally, I remained present and that saved me from mental health issue. Somehow, I didn’t allow what was being ignored, to cloud my judgment.

Trauma can become problematic

But trauma can become problematic if it’s left, and whatever you're dealing with isn't dealt with. Unprocessed trauma from childhood, if not dealt with, can result in mental health issues as you try to navigate life.

Long term reactions to trauma include, mood swings, flashbacks, physical symptoms, relationship challenges and are normal responses to traumatic events. Each of us get to make a choice, we get to make a decision to deal with unprocessed trauma.

There is no getting away that we have all dealt with unprocessed trauma in the pandemic. From catching Covid, to long Covid, to watching a loved one struggle, to losing a loved one. To having to deal with pain, to carry on. Unprocessed trauma isn't something that just comes from childhood.

As I continued to make myself aware, I would walk myself through my situation, waiting in the wings until I was ready to take control. What you see through my writing is me taking back control and you can too through my literature.

We should all deal with our trauma

As I finish up on my blog I would ask that you deal with trauma. You will feel so much better about you, about your life, about your loved ones. I have seen first hand what happens, when we fail to deal with trauma and struggle to maintain to mentally and emotionally live our lives.

Trauma will stay, leave and then come back

If not dealt with, trauma will either stay or come back. It is important to make sure you deal with unprocessed trauma, and/or any repressed emotions. Talk about how you feel.

If you fancy grabbing a copy of my books, so that you can deal with your own mental and emotional health, or you simply want more info, you can buy my books from Amazon, or through the following link https://linktr.ee/Ilana_Estelle

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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