What Has Helped The Most/been Most Healing

[Hope69]

I'm curious what has helped people the most in their healing journey?

I would say that EMDR, mindfulness, and somatic experiencing. All involve being present to sensations in the body .

My children, the connection I have with them inspires me to get well.

Having a therapist who validated my experience and believed in me helped.

Not helpful:

Poor boundaries, chronic stressful living conditions, intimate relationships , lack of a strong support system (stable friendships, no family other than my mom who lived far away)

 

[Tinyflame]

Helpful: safety, being able to be honest, help/ support, not feeling entirely alone, CBT, everything that reduces stress pain or helps with sleep, guidance, focus above ptsd or present, figuring out triggers. Learning practical things, like differences between triggers & flashbacks; forgiving myself (with other's help) for one but practising exposure & mangement for what I can alter. Acceptance. Radical acceptance. Thinking of others. My dog.

Top ETA 4 I would say are support/ connection, healthy forgetting/ engaging in other things, self-responsibilty/ learning & self-managing, honesty- helped by safety, forgiveness, environment.

Not helpful: no family much nor emotional encouragement or support, abuse, assault, SI, maladaptive coping.

 

[heyheyhey]

Self applied somatic experiencing has really, really helped my fear and anxiety. Meditation - self-compassion and breathing. Having a really beautiful, kind-hearted boyfriend who really takes great care of me and who I feel really safe and happy with (like he's sometimes one of the only people who makes me feel that, I don't think he has any idea what a beautiful gift he gives me and how much it means to me - I wish I could make him feel it). Dancing and music are pretty f*cking amazing and really healing; like nothing else can get me out of my fear and angst than wonderful music and moving my body to it. Helping other people, developing and strengthening compassion - it makes everything feel like it matters and all my suffering is worth something. Being with dogs, rescue dogs - I have a very deep sense of compassion for; sometimes it's almost overwhelming, but they also make me feel so safe and happy and relaxed too. Therapeutic writing. Being with a great therapist who validates my experience. CBT and learned optimism. Gratitude lists. Healthy diet, sleep and exercise: really the key foundation - if your body isn't happy, then your mind won't be.

 

[shimmerz]

Quieting the inner critic. It was my worst abuser. If I couldn't stop it, there was no use trying to escape from my true abusers.

 

[Tinyflame]

Yes @shimmerz not so good at not-believing self-harmful beliefs reinforced by inner critic, cbt or not.

(Good for you. :) :tup: :hug: )

 

[shimmerz]

The inner critic is a freaking stalker. Shaking it was absolutely the hardest part of all of this. I mean, if I criticized myself first, then nobody could hurt me more that I did myself.

 

[Friday]

Attitude

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Working my ass off in therapy, learning how to be assertive, going to the police to try to get justice, Doing EMDR. Refusing to allow the inner critic anymore free space in my head, and time.

 

[Tinyflame]

People (including here) more kind to me than I am to myself.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Learning about boundaries with me and other people

 

[sedna]

The inner critic is a freaking stalker. Shaking it was absolutely the hardest part of all of this. I...

@shimmerz That is so great! before I was even done reading that sentence I was picturing a horror movie trench coat and mask wearing creep lurking in my head!
That means he's been in there the whole time though :wideeyed:

 

[Hope69]

Thank you all for sharing. What I'm learning is attitude, self care and kindness, support. You know we are all heroes.