The Trauma Of Being Robbed That We Don’t Talk About Often
The shift from safety to scary flashes…
This is a personal experience but before I start, I would like to state that no robbery is small. Losing something to someone who could harm you just to get that thing is something that brings a trauma that we tend to suppress because we do not want to be termed weak.
I woke up blissfully like any other day in what I considered my haven only to realise that there had been an intrusion. I mean, I have heard stories of robbery but the last time I had a direct experience of it was when I was still in my preteens, barely old enough to understand the gravity of the evil act.
My first reaction was shock and a strong grip of fear. The overwhelming feeling that comes with the realisation that you are being monitored. A good thief wouldn’t just bounce on you to steal from you without taking time to study your movements. I had to suppress it with laughter which was short-lived when I found some of my belonging outside my window and it dawned on me that this person might have taken something I wouldn’t realise had been stolen till I needed it.
Everybody, especially when you are not the direct victim, expects the victim to move on with life like nothing has happened. To move on with the comfortable hope that it won’t happen again. To move on without getting anxious about who is monitoring him/her in the dark. To move on without having insomnia, to move on without having scary flashes of what could have happened if the robber had more access.
The unconscious movement of my head whenever I hear a strange sound… The way I double-check that I lock doors after me, the way my heart beats whenever I go to the restroom alone at night. The way I draw the curtains more often now despite the suffocating heat. The way I code my conversations just in case someone is listening to get information.
Does all these make me weak? No, it only makes me human and I am sure that I will heal with time. Acknowledging this also makes me feel better and positive that I am on the path of healing.
PS: If you are a believer, you will understand when I say God’s voice and words have been great reassurance for me in this season.
Have you ever experienced trauma from a robbery experience? How were you able to get over it? I would love to hear from you. you and also learn.
