Trauma and intense, painful experiences can “shake up” all that you once knew and turn things upside down. You may be feeling unsure about who you are now or feeling that you’re not “enough”. It could be that you’re feeling inadequate, uncomfortable about how this experience has affected or changed you, or troubled by beliefs that you cannot find or deserve satisfaction because of some personal deficit.

People who have experience traumatic events often report thinking and feeling that they should have been able to control the situation and that they are somehow bad or damaged because of what happened to them.  There can be a nagging, critical inner voice repeatedly telling you “If I you were more “____ this wouldn’t have happened to me. However, this is not a truth.  You can learn to release the unhelpful, critical messages that limit your self-acceptance and self-love.

Fortunately, the suffering that has been created in the wake of trauma or painful experiences can be transform into vitality. The emptiness caused by tremendous pain can create a space in which you can, in time, grow confidence and self-love as you embrace full and abundant living. Learn to accept yourself, to stop the self-loathing and raise your self-esteem.