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The following pages offer knowledge and coping techniques proven to be extremely helpful to survivors throughout their trauma work. With trial and error - and by practicing those techniques that meet your individual needs - adapting these skills into your daily life can make a huge difference. Included is information on basic self-care, on self-care and coping through trauma-work, and on changing damaging thought patterns.
Basic Self-Care
Developing a Self-Care Plan
A basic self-care plan is vital and can work alone, or
in combination with, standard treatment (therapy, mediation, etc).
Supporting Yourself
This page offers basic guidelines in supporting yourself through out
the process of your healing.
Comforting Yourself
Comfort can seem hard to come by when you are working through trauma. However, the following page offers
a list of ways in which you can provide yourself with some much deserved relief. However, there are also
techniques that you can use beyond trauma work because, no matter what, we all need a little comfort sometimes.
Self-Nurturing
This page offers further ways to take care of you the very best that you can.
Developing Assertiveness
Assertiveness is key to getting your needs met, but there are many survivors of childhood abuse who are never
taught how to be assertive. Hopefully this will help. Take it as sort of an "Assertiveness 101".
Complementary and Alternative
Therapies
Mind-body techniques, nutrition, and herbs may be an effective way to help treat the symptoms of trauma-based disorders.
Self-Care Through Trauma Work
Rules of Recovery
This page lists some good rules to follow while doing trauma work.
Tools for Healing
Find which tools work for you and practice them often.
Suggestions for Healing
Try these. Find which work for you.
Techniques
Flashbacks Technique
Flashbacks are a very common occurrence for survivors of trauma and one of the hardest symptoms to deal with.
Practice the following technique. It does work.
Grounding Technique
This is a fabulous technique for dealing with triggers of all kinds. It takes time to master
and perfect it. Practice makes perfect.
Safeplace Technique
This technique is wonderful in dealing with anxiety and triggers.
Containment Technique
Another wonderful technique in dealing with triggers. As with grounding techniques, containment can also take
time to master but is well worth the effort.
Changing Your Thoughts
Confronting Mistaken Beliefs
Countering negative thinking, ideas, and beliefs is key to move beyond trauma. This shows how affirmations can be used to remove false belief systems that foreshadow our critical self talk.
Affirmations
Surround yourself with positive affirmations. Read them daily. If the following list does not work for you
there are other websites full of affirmations(just google it). With enough practice you can change the way
you think which is absolutely paramount in changing how you deal with life, how you feel about yourself,
and in increasing your strength in the face of trauma.
Fighting Critical Voices
Its hard to fight off the old tapes that keep playing in you head of, "I'm an idiot," or "I'm worthless," ect.
But its important to keep fighting it, and to soothe yourself, instead of automatically criticizing yourself.
This page can offer you some help in this area.
Artwork © Jocelyn Patrick
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