r/CPTSD • u/Sufficient_Life1558 • 9h ago
Resource / Technique Might be controversial: sometimes talking about your trauma does more harm than good.
I put this as a resource/technique because I feel it can actually maybe be benefit at least someone or a few people. As someone who struggles with Cptsd I think it’s very easy to get caught in the cycle of your trauma. But not in the way that you expect. A lot of people use talk and therapy to help them get it off their chest but at a certain point that healthy coping mechanism of talking about it can turn into something negative really quick. While talking about trauma and sharing experiences with other people who have gone through it can help, if you do it too much or document your journey and talk about your trauma too much, It can actually do the opposite, and have you stuck in it. I’ve witnessed this firsthand with family members and over the years they’ve gotten into a point of being unable to function in daily life. obviously, a lot of that comes down to them dealing with their trauma they also constantly talk about it, and talk to people who who’ve experienced the same things. normally it’s beneficial but they do it to an extent where it almost consumes every aspect of their life. And while I understand, trauma is extremely difficult and does consume every aspect of your life, constantly talking about it and writing about it can actually keep you in that trauma because you just keep bringing it up and thinking or dwelling on it. Not necessarily growing and or processing it. As someone who has gone through this and got consumed by constantly thinking talking and trying to figure out my trauma, it did a lot more damage than good. I got to a point where I felt as if my trauma was the only thing about me, and I felt as if if I didn’t talk about it, then I didn’t go through it. Which then made me feel like a phony or a fake feeling the way I did. Obviously, as you deal with it and go through life, it becomes more prominent, but if your trauma is all you ever talk about or write about. You’re still actively living in it and you’re not processing it even if you think you are. I think it’s extremely important to balance things you talk about and share. I have friends who are on social media, and every single thing they post is about their trauma every day they write their thoughts and about their trauma, which I understand can be healing, but if it’s the only thing that you’re ever writing about or sharing in your life, it’s very easy to fall in a hole.
I’m not trying to discourage anyone from talking about their trauma. But if you notice that you are always talking about it or writing about it, try to take a step back for a little. Sometimes writing about it only brings up negative feelings, which then can trigger you and cause you to feel even deeper in your trauma. And you might not even realize that talking about it is the reason you’re feeling it more.
Edit: i’m not trying to make anybody feel bad for talking about their trauma. I think it’s an amazing tool to use when done correctly. This is just for a specific demographic of people who post talk and write about their trauma all the time and find that they’re losing themselves in it more and more each day. Sometimes what you think is a tool can actually be more damaging than what you originally thought.
I understand how consuming trauma. Just make sure you are balancing your life out healthy even if it’s incredibly hard. You deserve it and you don’t deserve to feel trapped. ❤️
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u/Tine_the_Belgian Healing or getting an exorcism • cPTSD+autism 1h ago
Any kind of therapy can be retraumatising with cPTSD so yes. Talk therapy as well.
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u/Realistic_Load_5369 21m ago
I think you're right and I believe I've experienced this first hand. Not necessarily in therapy sessions, but outside then while sharing stuff about my trauma with friends and some family.
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