The Most Ignored, Avoided, Denied, Misunderstood, and Untreated Cause of Human Suffering
A.C.E test, trauma, group therapy, & the reason I could stay sober today.
For those uncertain, Trauma is an emotional or psychological response to an event that is deeply distressing, implanted, or buried in one’s mind. People with severe trauma can affect the ones around them, they don’t have many normal friends, which a lot of people forget to mention. I won’t, I was one of those severely traumatized children with not many friends. It was a lot of hard work to get to the clarity I am at today, but I know If an old dope fiend like me can turn into the hope fiend, then you can do anything!
I hand-write in my Journal daily, that day I was at my mom’s for eggs and French toast! She had just turned on The Today Show, and when I heard a female TikTok ‘star’ say that she didn't have anything drastic happen to her, it was her parents who had been through hell.
She has never gotten abused, never gotten verbally abused, never gotten physically harmed she said one thing so powerful I started to cry. 28 years old I was crying on my couch because that was all that TikTok star had to say was — “It was my parent’s divorce that traumatized me most!”
I’m not going to beat around the bush any longer! Trauma has so many different components to it, it is the most misunderstood I feel only because we let people like Taylor Swift go around the world saying and singing ‘getting DUMPED’ is traumatic, which YES it can be, a bad breakup could be traumatic, but that isn’t what I am going to discuss in this article.
I will now go over these 3 topics of discussion.
- Environmental trauma
- Adverse childhood experience — test worth taking!
- What saved me from my suffering?
- Group therapy/Refuge — my every day stay sober stay sane way of life!
I need all loving, and caring individuals to listen closely, PARENTS listen even better! — Derek.0
Parents listen to how important a safe environment is for children!Traumatic Environments
People who grow up in a traumatic environment may encounter various negative effects. I cannot delve into all of them as I lack a precise understanding of how individuals truly perceive traumatic experiences, but I can dive into the ‘common sense’ ones!
The effects related to the mental health of children raised with trauma in the household are as follows:
(Mental Health Effects)
- Any disorder can be passed down by children living in traumatic homes or with their parents’ traumatic events.
- Low self-esteem
- Difficulty in processing experiences and shock.
(Behavioral Effects)
- High-risk behaviors such as self-harm, unsafe sexual practices, and excessive risk-taking.
- Engagement in illegal activities
- substance abuse
- assault.
(Cognitive Effects)
- Altered cognitive patterns.
- Including thoughts about self, the world, and the future.
- Impaired brain development due to stress in the environment.
(Social and Emotional Effects)
- Difficulty in forming healthy relationships and attachments.
- Feeling powerless and perceiving the world as a meaningless or unsafe place.
These impacts can be long-lasting and may require professional intervention and support to address but let me tell you already that it w
It’s important to note that the effects of trauma can vary based on every person, their circumstances, and if it happened during their adolescent years.
The person with trauma always sticks out like a sore thumb!
- The traumatized person has fewer number of friends.
- Are insecure.
- Have less faith.
- Have no trust.
- Live in fear.
- Have anxiety or even panic attacks.
- Have eating disorders.
- Has mental health problems.
- Live in aggression.
Every warrior knows how to cope with everything I mentioned above! The un-warrior just must educate their minds about what they are dealing with.
*My Adverse Childhood Experiences Test Score*
Take the simple, yet not so simple, short questionnaire that gives you a number at the end.
The higher the number the higher the percentage of chaos in your past, and the chaos now you have to learn to cope with in your mind!
What does my ACE score mean?
As your ACE score increases, the risk of disease and social and emotional problems increases as well.
Think about your ACE score as measuring the amount of toxic stress you endured as a child and alerting yourself to some statistical indicators of health risks.
This is exactly what you need to figure out your ace test score!
TAKE TEST HERE←
I just stuck that pain and suffering in the back of my mind, and being a 4th grader, that was very hard to do. I was a scared 4th grader living in fear, the teachers had false assumptions my parents were abusing me. When I heard the teacher ask me if I would be willing to participate in a test, and after that test they could grade it and would be able to tell way more about my upbringing, that was if I told the truth on every question!
**********(TRAUMA-TRIGGER- WARNING) ********
People can undergo trauma due to a range of challenging experiences, such as natural disasters, accidents, abuse, violence, molestation, sexual abuse, rape and even medical procedures. It’s important to acknowledge the profound impact these events can have on individuals, and I’m here to offer support or information if needed. I am here to tell you the ones I highlighted above.
They thought it was my parent abusing me, but it wasn’t them, it was my colder cousin Andy who is 5 years older than me! He wouldn't make me do the sickest things for his pleasure and amusement and for a child my age at the time to be scared to come out about being molested, or telling someone if it wasn’t for my parents’ divorce then I wouldn’t have been at my fathers temporary living condition, which was his brothers. He knew I didn’t want to live there for some reason that I was told not to say a fuckin word or I get ‘paid the consequences.’
Because my not being honest about the molestation just kept happening over and over again and that ‘don’t ever tell anyone this is a secret’ — still in the (secret zone), because I didn’t want the repercussions of what my abuser said —
“I'll kill you in your sleep if you tell anyone that this is going on.”
That is exactly what made me keep my molestation secret deep down inside! Eventually, it led me to the constant thought of wanting to remove those suffering thoughts — that then brought me to the bottle — then to the active cycle of substance abuse addiction — then tolerance grabbed me by my neck and shoved me to the streets of injecting heroin and whatever junk I was getting sold. If it took me out of myself for a second to numb all those emotions, it was worth it! I didn’t want to be honest with my family because first I thought they wouldn’t believe me after all 20 years of keeping it inside. The trauma I have in my life is considered complex, but I know it extends past that!
Types of Trauma.
1. Acute trauma: This results from a single stressful or dangerous event, such as a natural disaster, accident, or assault. 2. Chronic trauma: It stems from repeated and prolonged exposure to stressful events, such as ongoing abuse or domestic violence. 3. Complex trauma: This involves exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature, such as childhood abuse or neglect.
The best ways to deal with trauma include seeking professional help, building a support network, practicing self-care, and using coping strategies finding a Trauma support group near you where you can go and get everything off your chest, and you will be heard by people who been through similar situations and have no judgment towards your past circumstances.
High 5's to Trauma Group Therapy
To find any trauma-informed group therapy program, individuals can consider these options:
- Mental Health Facilities and Programs: - Outpatient mental health programs often offer trauma treatment programs that include group therapy, individual therapy, or a combination of both.
2. Online Directories: - Websites like Psychology Today provide a search feature to find trauma-focused support groups in specific locations, offering details about the type of group therapy available and the issues it addresses.
3. Therapist or Counselor Referrals: — Seeking referrals from individual therapists, counselors, or mental health professionals who specialize in trauma treatment can be a valuable way to find group therapy programs.
4. Community Health Organizations: — Community health centers, hospitals, or nonprofit organizations may offer trauma-informed group therapy programs or can provide referrals to trusted programs.
5. Trauma-Informed Care Networks: — Engaging with trauma-informed care networks and initiatives can help individuals connect with providers and organizations that offer group therapy programs tailored to trauma survivors.
By exploring these avenues, individuals can identify and access trauma-informed group therapy programs that best suit their needs and circumstances.
For me it was luck, I had a father with a job who had BlueCross BlueShield for insurance and after the deductible was met, they were able to pay for me to go to treatment. Lots of times, 11 to be exact but it wasn't until I told the secret that then I felt free!
Conclusion/Takeaways — (I'm here for you❤=)
Releasing the pain and suffering through tears, screams, and the raw expression of emotions within the safety of a trauma support group has been the most instrumental in shaping the person I am today!
It is through this cathartic process that I have found the strength to overcome adversity and achieve personal success.
Acknowledging the profound impact of addressing trauma and seriously was impossible with drugs and alcohol, when I got sober it was a testament to the transformative power of healing!
Thank everyone who has read this passionate article of healing information, please share if you thought it was a great one:)
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