#BellLetsTalk Day and Addressing Trauma

It's #BellLetsTalk day and there are a lot of conversations filled with both praise and criticism for this initiative. Conscious Counselling and Wellness wants to use any opportunity to promote raising awareness for mental health, especially when it is providing funding to mental health initiatives!

So, I wanted to create a little post about what I think we could all be #bellletstalk-ing about more: trauma

The Canadian Association of Mental Health describes trauma as,

"the lasting emotional response that often results from living through a distressing event. Experiencing a traumatic event can harm a person’s sense of safety, sense of self, and ability to regulate emotions and navigate relationships. Long after the traumatic event occurs, people with trauma can often feel shame, helplessness, powerlessness and intense fear."

Trauma impacts the core functioning of our nervous system and our reptilian brains, which scan our environments for danger or safety at all times. Some people who have experienced a trauma feel as though their fight-flight-or-freeze response is stuck ON most or all of the time. They may experience nightmares, or flashbacks. They may avoid reminders of the trauma and thus many things in life that previously brought joy. These symptoms among others are exhausting, but can be dealt with.

Not all people who experience a trauma will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. This depends on various protective factors, risk factors, internal capacity for resilience at a certain point of life, as well as available support and resources.

PTSD is not something you can control or stop from happening to you after a trauma but it IS something treatable and something you can heal from.

Conscious Counselling and Wellness seeks to be a safe organization in the community where individuals can sit down and work through their traumas. I want you to know that you are not alone and that we will work TOGETHER, YOUR way to get through this. If you're curious about joining counselling with me, please don't hesitate to call at 506-230-4105 or email saramackiecounsellingservices@gmail.com

Additionally, here are some FREE RESOURCES in the community if you need to talk to someone:

- CHIMO Helpline 24/7: 1-800-667-5005

- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

- Hope for Wellness helpline for Indigenous Peoples: 1-855-242-3310

- Sexual Violence New Brunswick 24/7: (506) 454-0437

Have a safe #BellLetsTalk day. Take care of one another.

Article cited:

https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/trauma