According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “a traumatic event is a shocking, scary, or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically.” Traumatic events include natural disasters, assault, abuse, shootings, car accidents, and other accidents. When you experience a traumatic event, you might have flashbacks and anxiety, or your mind might suppress it. You probably tell people that you are moving on and that it did not bother you that much. You may even be progressing in your career, school, or relationship. However, you notice that at times, you avoid the area where the traumatic event occurred, or in your relationship, you have put up boundaries with the excuse “I don’t like that” but are not consciously aware of why you don’t like it. Maybe you are a “runner,” not in the sense that you run miles a day, but that you run from challenging situations that might remind you of the feelings associated with the traumatic event. In the “Jenny Donnelly | Don’t Mess With Our Kids” podcast episode by Rebecca Weiss Podcast, they used the phrase “washing the wound.” Rebecca and Jenny were referring to how God meets you in your hurt and healing to have a stronger relationship with God, but I think this relates to our daily lives (no matter your religion). When we suppress the trauma instead of healing from the trauma, it affects our lives even if we don’t think so because we are still functioning. That hurt will surface, and probably not in a healthy way. When you have a physical wound, like a cut, you clean it, put antibiotic ointment on it, cover it to protect it from infections, and let it air out to heal. You might even take medication to help with the pain and healing process so you can have a more rewarding life. So why not take the same mentality towards healing from a traumatic event and wash the wound? Clean the wound by talking with a counselor about the experience and letting yourself feel the emotions. Practice coping skills to utilize when you are not in session, and the wound is “airing out.” If you are having a hard time functioning because of the anxiety or depression from the wound, talk with your doctor about using medication to help while you are healing. The medication won’t heal you completely, but it will help you in the healing process if it becomes too much to handle. “Washing the wound” is the only way to heal the wound and live a more fulfilling life.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, May). Coping with traumatic events. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events#:~:text=A%20traumatic%20event%20is%20a,affect%20someone%20emotionally%20and%20physically.
Weiss, R., & Donnelly, J. (2024, March 26). Rebecca Weiss podcast on Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebecca-weiss-podcast/id1593165422