A New Chapter: What Does Healing Feel Like for You?

[deno]

When you’re deep in survival mode, it’s hard to imagine what healing could even look like, let alone feel like. For me, healing is starting to feel less like winning a war and more like waking up in a place where I’m finally safe to breathe.

It’s not always a big, flashy moment. Sometimes it’s small things — like laughing without guilt or sleeping through the night without armor on.

If you had to describe what healing feels like for you, even just a glimpse, how would you put it into words?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[arfie]

on my own long and winding recovery road, healing has yet to feel like winning a war. more like laying down my sword and shield in favor of gratitude that i get to live another day. i survived the war. i don't believe anyone wins in war.

i think i would need to describe my own healing in relation to the healing phases i have passed through. when i am deep in survival mode, healing felt like confidence i would survive the night. here on my comfy, secure farm porch, healing feels like the confidence to pray for the healing feels like healing hopes for all. no exceptions. i don't even need to like you to pray for your healing.

 

[deno]

Your description of the different phases really resonated with me, too. It's not one thing, it's layers — surviving first, then hoping, then maybe even giving that hope to others. It reminds me that healing doesn’t have to be perfect or loud, just real.

 

[anthony]

Baby steps, that is how it feels, and that is how it happened. One step forward, two steps back... and eventually it became 2 steps forward, one step back. It feels like I was never going to get there, yet with persistence, I am in a much better place today. It was retraumatising, it was long, it was complicated, I felt every symptom at there highest, heart breaking, so many things. Oh... and frustrating. It felt very frustrating a lot.

 

[Susan Jane]

Trauma healing started for me about 2 years ago, before that I didn’t understand what was wrong, so I just suffered. Healing for me is moving forward, feeling hopeful and more grounded, and then …forgetting to keep up my self care, overworking, thus not being equipped for challenges. The last challenge landed me back in the big pit and I am now slowly crawling back. It is frustrating and exhausting. I have more hope this time, so I am less fearful, and I see that as a new small step forward in my healing.

 

[Teasel]

Like waking up to how difficult other things are, not just the ptsd.

Though, I do have other conditions which were partially masked by the ptsd.

 

[Lost in the Woods]

It certainly isn’t in a straight line. Lots of mistakes. There seems to be levels of understanding and it takes time getting to the additional levels, time, honesty and rigorous self examination.

 

[Mach123]

Like doing things I could not do b4. Remembering I couldn’t go to the grocery store by myself without it seeming like a big achievement.

 

[Surefoot]

on my own long and winding recovery road, healing has yet to feel like winning a war. more like laying down my sword and shield in favor of gratitude that i get to live another day. i survived the war. i don't believe anyone wins in war.

i think i would need to describe my own healing in relation to the healing phases i have passed through. when i am deep in survival mode, healing felt like confidence i would survive the night. here on my comfy, secure farm porch, healing feels like the confidence to pray for the healing feels like healing hopes for all. no exceptions. i don't even need to like you to pray for your healing.

Arfie, it might sound simplistic, but there is light when you come through. Keep working the healing. When I finally knew how to identify my enemy (PTSD, and it took a lot of years), I started healing
Hope this might help you.

 

[Friday]

What does healing feel like? Painful, itching, exhausting, infuriating, weak.

Getting strong & agile -again- feels good.
Rebuilding feels good.
Healing feels like hell. Any kind of healing I’ve ever experienced, anyway.

 

[Dark.Green.Feathers]

i’m still deep in it, but have also come pretty far i think. saw this and realised what healing looks like for me right now is being able to have an awful morning / half a day and then being able to get up and pick up the day from there, instead of marking it as totalled and wallowing until the next one.

woke up at 4 and had a terrible traumatic relapse heavy morning from then, a real winding-back-8-months-of-progress day, and ive just got dressed and washed my face and brushed my teeth. going to eat some oranges now. it’s not much but it is progress, healing.
i can have days like that and not condemn it as wasted and conclude that i should figuratively just kill myself for the day. it’s self-compassion. in a very unconscious way but it is.

i dont have to do it perfect; i can have a real disaster however much of the day, and then let myself have it be nice once that’s over.
letting myself stand up instead of kicking while i’m already down.

 

[user27357]

better than not healing. I am a pragmatist level 4, black belt. healing sucks but it beats the alternative