How Trauma Bonds Peoplefeatured
I have been hesitant about writing this. Mostly because I hate being a complainer. I like to own my actions because a past version of myself was a victim who got absolutely nowhere in life. But it is time to talk about it.
Trauma, no matter how small or how large creates deep connection.
I was once in a situation where trauma was the constant every single day. Days began hopeful but mostly ended in tears, stress, confusion, or pain. And I wasn’t alone. I had a team that experienced the same along with me. We would be in so much pain that turning to each other was the only answer.
We became close out of a need to survive. I became a counselor and opened my heart because I had no other choice. It was beyond painful but completely necessary.
We turned to the easiest way to socialize-alcohol. It became more than a friend to us. It became a reason to come together, a ritual, a way to collectively unwind. We knew it wasn’t the solution but we also knew we needed any excuse to spill our feelings and insecurities to each other after enduring so much torment.
Alcohol would pour as would our broken spirits. We would vent about our current prison and dream of better days. We would lift each other up because nobody else would. We became a true trauma family. While the days were long, our hearts stayed connected, and that was what kept us going.
It’s safe to say none of us really handled the trauma too well but we certainly learned the beauty of humanity underneath the ugly veil presented to us daily.
We did the best we could with what we were handed.
Our bonding moments became the moments we would never forget. It was as if our hearts grew bigger as we unraveled our pain together. We were uncovering who we were at our core and who we most definitely never wanted to become.
Without the trauma, we would likely never become the family we did. We constantly supported each other, trusted each other, and listened to each other in a way I never experienced before or after this traumatic experience. We became a true force connected through deep pain.
That’s the thing about trauma. While it is extremely painful it can build character, resilience, empathy, and unconditional love.
Out of every single one of my painful experiences, I have been reborn. I have looked deep within myself to learn the best way to survive regardless of the circumstances around me. This time, I had a beautiful team to guide me to the light at the end of the tunnel. And for this, I am forever thankful.
If you were part of our loving team, you know who you are. Thank you for being so strong through it all, for you, for me, for the rest of us who needed to find strength somewhere.
There is always beauty in the breakdown and we broke down, built ourselves right back up, and continued on our paths because we had the privilege of having each other.
Love Deeply and Forever,
Karen
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2019 Karen PierikAbout the author
