Talking Vs Processing?

[watundah]

Quick question.
Talking about trauma vs processing it.
What is the difference?
Does processing include Somatic work or .... ?
Maybe talk is step 1?

 

[katurian]

I don't know what the objective answer to your question is, but to me processing means doing mental work to reorder your thoughts/worldview and integrate your trauma into your personality/perception of yourself in a positive way.

 

[mamachick]

I think processing is kind of hard to explain and depends on the content. Often T helps someone process because as the person is describing a situation, (with their automatic thoughts), the T can stop client, or interject, for purpose of helping client evaluate, reframe, etc and draw a clearer conclusion, sometimes taking the emotions out of it or lightening the emotions. Through this event, many emotions are stirred, heartfelt, named, and sometimes put to rest.

 

[EveHarrington]

I think processing is how we sort through our feelings regarding the trauma, we understand why we reacted the way we did, and we put the trauma in the past. Processing can include talking.

 

[Intrepid]

I process accounts at work. I process the dishes when I run them through the dishwasher. I don't think I process the trauma. I think I go through a healing process. I process what's inside me, but it's more than the memories, emotions, or behaviors that surround the trauma within me. I was traumatized and I broke. So, I see the process of healing as repairing those breaks.

So, sometimes that healing requires talking. Sometimes it requires thinking. Sometimes it requires changing what I do. Sometimes it requires floating in the open sea of constantly flooding emotions.

If you want to organize the process, I hope the best for you. I hope you succeed and let us all know how you did it. I hope that those who are still in the spin will know what you are talking about when you explain how you got out.

 

[mamachick]

I was trying to explain "processing" only in reference to healing emotional self, not necessarily all trauma related events. We process our feelings everyday on our own. Once processed, we have some resolution to things. It may involve us seeing our own mistakes in things and owning them. It may involve us addressing false beliefs. We process the outcome of a relationship that ended. We can process the loss of a job. We may process an argument with a good friend. How many times have we thought, I just need some time to process this.

 

[watundah]

I am talking and feeling about childhood sexual abuse and T is encouraging and supporting. This is new. I have been seriously avoidant in the past several years. And accepting support is new, too. But the talking is stirring up emotions. And I dissociate. We've done a ton of work on how to manage dissociation so I know I'm in deep yogurt.

I dwell and mull and fixate outside of therapy. Maybe this is processing and maybe it's obsessing. So I am not sure what is healthy and what is not. I'll be asking her more about this differentiation. Also, she asks me what I need to heal. I think kindness is big but I have a hard time accepting help because Ive avoided that vulnerability, as well.

It's a big brain maze.

 

[Freedomfighter]

Quick question.
Talking about trauma vs processing it.
What is the difference?
Does processing include...

Yes, talk is step one for sure, I do that all the time.

 

[joeylittle]

What Does 'processing' Mean For You?

This thread has a lot of good posts in it.

I'd sum it up as 'processing' trauma is the active work of transforming the negative impact of it into a neutral. 'Talking' about trauma isn't necessarily going to result in anything changing - it could, or it could be a helpful aspect of the processing.

 

[watundah]

Thanks, Joey little - quite helpful.