Changing Your Relationship to Symptoms in Trauma Healing
Changing Your Relationship to Symptoms in Trauma Healing
Introduction
Do you ever find yourself wishing away feelings of anxiety, flashbacks, or other uncomfortable symptoms, only for them to come back? We often want fast relief from these persistent reminders of trauma. And while eliminating symptoms can bring temporary comfort, it rarely addresses the root cause, leaving us vulnerable to the same struggles over and over.
But what if, instead of simply trying to make these symptoms disappear, we could change the way we relate to them? In trauma healing, there’s a powerful alternative to symptom eradication: learning to view symptoms as messages from our bodies and minds. This approach encourages us to understand and even embrace our symptoms, using them as guides on the healing journey. By shifting from avoidance to acceptance, we can uncover a wealth of insight and resilience that leads to sustainable healing and a more empowered sense of self.
Understanding Symptom Eradication
Symptom eradication is often the go-to approach in trauma healing. It focuses on eliminating uncomfortable experiences like anxiety, depression, or physical tension as quickly as possible to restore a sense of normalcy. This makes sense—living with trauma’s effects can be exhausting, and we naturally crave relief.
The traditional medical model strongly influences this focus on symptom relief, viewing symptoms as problems to be suppressed or eliminated. While medications, behavioral techniques, and other interventions can be effective for short-term relief, they often stop short of addressing the deeper emotional and psychological roots of trauma. By prioritizing control over exploration, we risk leaving the underlying issues unresolved, leading to a cycle of recurring symptoms. Symptom eradication may bring temporary comfort, but it rarely provides the holistic healing needed for long-term peace.
The Concept of Changing Your Relationship to Symptoms
Changing your relationship to symptoms means shifting from seeing them as obstacles to be removed to recognizing them as important signals—messages from your body and mind revealing insights about your inner world.
Reframing Symptoms as Messengers
Instead of enemies, symptoms can be viewed as guides that point to areas needing attention, compassion, or understanding. Symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, or physical tension are often responses that your body has developed to protect you or signal something unresolved. By listening to these symptoms, you can gain insights into unmet needs and emotions that require healing.
The Power of Acceptance and Curiosity
Approaching symptoms with acceptance and curiosity rather than frustration can create a powerful shift. Instead of feeling defeated, you might ask, “What is this symptom trying to tell me?” or “Why am I feeling this way right now?” This mindset allows you to explore and understand the true roots of discomfort, opening the door to a more profound and sustainable transformation.
Benefits of Changing the Relationship to Symptoms
Empowerment and Agency
Viewing symptoms as signals fosters a sense of control over the healing process. Rather than passively receiving treatment, you actively participate in exploring and responding to your body’s messages. This approach encourages personal agency and makes the journey feel more aligned and intentional.
Building Self-Compassion
By moving away from judgment, you can approach symptoms with acceptance and understanding. This reduces feelings of shame and self-blame, allowing you to develop a compassionate relationship with yourself. Embracing symptoms as natural and valid responses can nurture self-kindness and resilience.
Sustainable Healing and Resolution
Changing the relationship to symptoms allows you to address the trauma’s root causes rather than just managing surface manifestations. By treating symptoms as clues to unresolved trauma, you can work through and integrate underlying experiences, leading to profound and lasting change.
How to Begin Changing Your Relationship to Symptoms
Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for observing symptoms without judgment. Techniques like mindful observation and body scanning allow you to notice sensations, emotions, and thoughts as they arise. For example, during a body scan, simply notice any tension, warmth, or discomfort without the urge to change them. This practice helps create calm awareness, recognizing symptoms as natural rather than problematic.
Somatic Inquiry and Body Awareness
Somatic practices focus on physical sensations and movements, helping you understand trauma symptoms better. Somatic inquiry involves tuning into these sensations and asking open-ended questions to explore their messages. If you feel tightness in your chest, for instance, you might ask, “What is this tension trying to tell me?” By developing body awareness, you can begin to recognize patterns in how symptoms manifest and what they communicate.
Journaling and Reflective Practices
Journaling is an excellent way to explore symptoms and uncover deeper meanings. Reflective prompts such as “What am I feeling right now, and where do I feel it in my body?” or “If this symptom could speak, what might it want me to know?” can lead to valuable insights. Over time, this practice helps you build a deeper understanding of yourself and your healing journey.
Together, these techniques support a shift from fearing or avoiding symptoms to engaging with them as allies. With patience, you can transform symptoms into guides on your path to wellness.
Case Study: From Eradication to Acceptance
Jessica spent years trying to eliminate her anxiety and muscle tension through treatments and medications, but the relief was always temporary. She saw her symptoms as barriers to happiness and often felt defeated when they returned. This cycle left her stuck, wondering if she would ever truly heal.
Everything changed when Jessica shifted her perspective to acceptance. Through somatic therapy, she began to view symptoms as messengers carrying insights about her past. During sessions, Jessica connected with her symptoms through body scanning and mindfulness. She noticed that her muscle tension often flared when she felt unsafe. Instead of resisting, she observed the discomfort, exploring its meaning.
Over time, Jessica’s relationship with her symptoms transformed. She discovered long-suppressed memories and emotions, uncovering a newfound sense of agency. As she embraced this approach, her symptoms softened. Though they didn’t disappear entirely, they became less overwhelming, and she found a sense of peace once out of reach. Jessica realized true healing isn’t about erasing discomfort but embracing resilience.
Common Misconceptions and Challenges
Common Misconceptions and Challenges
Myth: “If I accept my symptoms, doesn’t that mean I’m giving up on getting better?”
It’s easy to assume that acceptance means resigning yourself to living with your symptoms forever, but that’s not what this approach is about. Acceptance isn’t the same as surrendering or giving in. Instead, it’s about making room for healing by acknowledging your symptoms without resistance. When you approach your symptoms with compassion and openness, they often lose some of their intensity. It’s not about settling; it’s about setting the stage for real, transformative healing.
Myth: “If I’m accepting my symptoms, does that mean I’m just avoiding taking action?”
It’s natural to wonder if acceptance means avoiding change. You might think, “If I’m just accepting these feelings, aren’t I letting them control me?” But acceptance doesn’t mean inaction—it’s actually a very active process. By embracing your symptoms with curiosity, you’re diving deep into what they mean and what they need. This approach is about working with your symptoms to uncover new insights, rather than just pushing them aside.
Myth: Overcoming Obstacles: The Challenge of Patience and Discomfort
Changing your relationship with symptoms takes time, and it can feel frustrating to go through a process when quick fixes seem so tempting. It’s normal to feel impatient and even uncomfortable when you start facing your symptoms instead of avoiding them. You may find it helpful to remind yourself that healing is a journey, not a race. Self-compassion is key here. Building a support system—whether it’s with a therapist, friends, or a community group—can help keep you grounded and provide encouragement when things feel tough. Embracing discomfort can be challenging, but with patience, this journey can lead to profound understanding and growth.
Resources and Further Reading
Books
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Waking the Tiger by Peter A. Levine
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
Online Resources
“How Trauma Lodges in the Body” by Bessel van der Kolk (NPR)
Introduction to Somatic Experiencing on the Somatic Experiencing International Website
Practitioners and Directories
TherapyDen: A directory to find trauma-informed therapists.
The Trauma Therapist Podcast: Insights from trauma experts.
These resources offer a foundation for exploring how trauma-informed, somatic, and mindfulness-based therapies can transform the relationship with symptoms and facilitate healing.
