The Power of Remembering Your Past Successes in Overcoming Trauma

How I moved on from my childhood trauma.

Not long after I turned 20, memories of childhood sexual abuse resurfaced. It was like being tied to a chair, your eyes pulled open, while you’re forced to watch the worst movie you could imagine.

I told a couple of friends in those early days, but mostly, I frantically stuffed those memories in a box. I hoped they would remain hidden somewhere in the back of my mind.

Trauma works on its own schedule. No matter how much duct tape I put on that box, it kept popping open, spilling out an avalanche of painful emotions.

It took a few tries, but in my mid-twenties, I found an excellent talk therapist. She shared with me the famous Winston Churchill quote, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

It was not the message I wanted to hear. I imagined if I willfully opened my memory box and looked inside, the past trauma would kill me.

“The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost

Finding My Way

My therapist was right. Piece by piece, I unpacked my box and looked at every ugly tidbit inside. It was excruciating, sometimes leading to insomnia and other times, causing me to toss my cookies. To describe it as a walk through hell is an understatement, but in time, I emerged from the other side.

Today, I still hate talking about it, but I can without falling to pieces. I know what happened doesn’t define me. It was never because of anything I did.

If you’re in hell right now, take courage. Whether you’re coping with trauma, depression, or anything else, the only way past it is to go through it.

You’ve been through trials before and you’re still here. You beat your monsters and carried on. Whatever you are coping with now is the same. If you’re willing to do the work, you’ll come out victorious on the other side.

Spend some time today thinking about your past successes. Let those lessons be your source of positivity today.

Writing Prompts

Write about moving on from your past with these prompts. If you write a Medium story, please come back and leave a link.

Journal Prompt: What was a challenging situation you worked through? What did that experience teach you about yourself?

Creative Writing Prompt: A stranger approaches you today and tells you an evil organization implanted all of your memories. You’re really someone else. Who do they say you are? What do you do next?

Until next time, keep fighting.

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