I had some interaction with a client last week regarding feeling terribly stuck after a traumatic event and unable to leave the house.
I totally get this.
I know after my traumatic event, I was scared to go downstairs at night to make a cup of tea. This was because I had associated this as part of the events that went down when I was attacked.
I went downstairs to make myself and my husband a cup of tea and then I went to the security gate where the dog wanted to be let in. It was then that I was confronted with a gun to my head.
This going downstairs to make tea was a trigger in the beginning that caused me so much anxiety. So what I did was to take a kettle and tea tray upstairs. This created a baby step for me. I was still making tea at night, but just in a different place that was safe, and had no triggers to the awful event.
I did some work with a client a few years back who had a really bad car accident and was scared to drive again. I got her to just start by sitting in her car and reading a book. She then progressed to driving the car up and down her driveway. Then she progressed to driving to the end of her street. Her first drive to work, she got her Mother to go with her as support. After 3 weeks she was back to driving on her own.
The main thing here, is to be kind to ourselves, and to do things in baby steps and always do things that keep us feeling safe.
We need to move at a speed that is comfortable and manageable for us, no matter how small or slow these steps are.
Always remember to reach out and ask for support if you need it from Family and Friends.
Connect with me here if you would like to reach out to me for some support.
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