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Signs of
Unresolved Trauma and Grief
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Suicidal Ideation
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A Pattern of
out-of-control and self-injurious behavior
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Self-destructive
addictions
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Intrusive thoughts,
images, feelings and nightmares
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Flashbacks
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Extensive
comorbidity/multiple diagnosis
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Inability to
tolerate feelings or conflicts
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Intense self-blame
and feeling unworthy
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Staying stuck in
the victim or perpetrator roles
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Disorganized
attachment patterns
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Black and white
thinking and other cognitive distortions
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Pathological
dissociation
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Signs of Unresolved
Grief
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Prolonged and
excessive guilt
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Sudden outbursts of
anger/excessive anger
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Recurring or long
lasting depression
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Caretaking behavior
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Self-injury
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Emotional numbness
or constriction
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NOTICE: If you are struggling
with any kind of destructive behavior; i. e., suicidal behavior or
self-injury, Dialectical Behavior
Therapy (DBT) has been found to be helpful. This kind of therapy
helps survivors to use tools to control moods that can go out of control
very rapidly.
As one child survivor (who underwent
DBT) told us: "When you feel powerless,
you feel hopeless. Once
you realize that you have the power to change things in your life, you
will not feel you have to wait for people to be good to you. You have
the power to choose a better option."
Grief Triggers
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Anniversaries
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Holidays
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Age-related
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Seasonal
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Music
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Rituals
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The Process of
Healing
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Acknowledging the
loss
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Telling the story
and sharing the pain
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Accepting support
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Connecting current
behavior with the original wound
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Separating the past
from the present
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Creating a new
story; integrating the trauma into the context of one's life with new
understanding
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Reframing
Grief and Loss From a Spiritual Perspective
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Helplessness is
shifted into powerlessness
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Hypervigilance is
sifted into surrender
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Isolation shifts
into building a support network
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Loss of faith and
trust shifts to faith and trust in a loving and compassionate God
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"What, can Jesus meet my
need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how
difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my
loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul
yearnings--Jesus can meet all. All, and more than meet."
~ Howard Taylor |
Surviving
(if you have
experienced severe abuse)
Tre-Angeli
on Grief (Articles
on trauma, grief and loss; email support available)
Back to
Articles on Healing Through Grief
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|
