notes on freedom
A weekly email series containing easily digestible morsels of info on relational trauma and how to find freedom from it.
THIS WEEK IT’S A NOTE ON…triggered thoughts
Many with childhood trauma find themselves stuck in repetitive thought patterns, fear-led rumination and black & white or catastrophic thinking. Our thoughts can trigger us and/or they can perpetuate/worsen a triggered reaction.
Within the trauma field there’s been a very necessary renewed focus on the body. But this can lead us to overlook the power of our mind and the pivotal role it plays in keeping us trapped in old trauma-led patterns that no longer serve us.
We start this work by simply trying to step back a little bit so we can begin to observe our thoughts with a little more separateness. We try and notice catastrophic, black and white statements in real-time.
Thoughts like:
– Everyone hates me
– I’ve got it all wrong
– I’ve fucked it all up
– I’m failing
These kinds of statement are a sign that something old has been triggered and that our core wounding, a younger part of us, is calling for our attention.
Next time you hear the whisper of this kind of thinking, pause and slow down. Instead of taking the thoughts as a fact (as something to be trusted, investigated, followed and intensified) try and view them as a sign that you’re in distress. These kinds of statements are not about today, they’re
about the past, and they’re calling you to support yourself more deeply.
With love,
S. x
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Sarah Woodhouse is a trauma expert, research psychologist and writer who delivers people the knowledge and tools to recognise and overcome self-defeating cycles, to achieve personal freedom and success. Please follow her on Instagram, Facebook or X for all the latest updates.
