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I Overcame My Tendency to Isolate Myself
I am changing old patterns and opening up space in my life for a healthier way of living
A common trait trauma survivors share is the tendency to isolate themselves. If the world feels threatening, it’s easier to shut everyone out instead of trying to figure out who is safe and who is not safe. The trauma survivor wouldn’t be able to discern safe people from unsafe people anyway because they have been exposed to so much abusive behavior. Their senses are confused. It’s safer to spend lots of time alone and do solitary activities such as read, write, paint, stitch, knit, watch a movie, do a workout by following a YouTube video, etc. It’s easy for trauma survivors to spend an entire day by themselves. Nothing is around to trigger them which feels safe.
As a trauma survivor who suffered from childhood emotional neglect and lifelong anxiety, I’ve made many strides, including fulfilling my long-time dream of becoming a dog mom and finding a healthy and secure relationship. Still, I find I have many old unhealthy beliefs, behaviors, and maladaptive thought patterns that keep me stuck in a “traumatized” way of life. For example, I had a tendency to isolate myself in a bid to protect myself. I also suffered the consequence of loneliness from my isolation. I pushed away others or ran away…