8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery – Dr. Babette Rothschild
Do you know that every one of us is carrying a trauma within us? The level of the trauma may be different for all of us but nevertheless, all of us struggle with our own demons. Sometimes, we can understand these demons and dissolve them into our whole being but other times they get the better of us.
It’s strange to think that we still hide our feelings and our own struggles because we don’t want to “burden” others around us or we believe that they won’t understand us – even though they might be going through similar struggles.
We try to hold it all within ourselves and allow these struggles to poison us. We face our demons every day and yet, we feel that we can’t face them. We live in anxiety, fear, and anger and yet we feel that we can’t handle these feelings.
I have lived my life like that for many many years. Even when I went through various therapies, I did it without letting my friends or family members know. Looking back at it now, I feel that things didn’t have to be that hard. That it’s okay to ask for support and understanding; and compassion is the greatest asset on this planet – compassion for others and compassion for myself.
This was the biggest lesson Dr. Babette taught me – That “I am OK”.
Dr. Babette Rothschild showed me that there was “no need to fix” myself. We all are a product of our past and it is part of our journey to sometimes experience hardship and if we allow ourselves to go through this pain, we heal.
In many ways, her book liberated me because I didn’t feel the urgency to get it all sorted in a flash. She introduced me to the word “safety” and inspired my series of blogs on creating safety such as: Restoring Sexual Safety for Survivors (Part 3 of 3)
Babette tackles the trauma at the somatic level, which feels right to me. I have always felt that somehow focusing on mind based therapies alone is not enough. My own experience and my observations have taught me that trauma affects our mind and body as well as our energetic self. Working on healing strategies that address only one and not all of these areas may not be enough.
I know when I did hypnotherapy, I had amazing transformations in my psyche but it wasn’t enough and it was the body work that got me to the next level of transformation. By awakening my body and by releasing the trauma from my cells, I was able to transform myself.
Her book 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery
My professional goal has always been to become obsolete, that is, no longer needed. I would be most happy to achieve this goal as a result of the elimination of trauma from the world. But since this is not likely, I will settle for becoming needed because traumatised individuals are extremely well prepared – informed and equipped – to direct their own healing. Dr. Babette Rothschild
What a great start of the book and that’s exactly how I felt. That I can take care of myself. The resources list described in my blog First Steps towards the Healing Journey is also inspired by her. She changed the way I feel, understand and experience trauma.
Here are the 8 keys that are described in her book:
- Key 1: Plot your Course with Mindfulness
- Key 2: Begin with Your Epilog… You Made it!
- Key 3: Remembering is not Required
- Key 4: Stop Flashbacks
- Key 5 Reconcile Forgiveness and Shame (Forgive your limitation, Share your shame)
- Key 6: Take Smaller Steps for Bigger Leaps
- Key 7: Get Moving
- Key 8: Make Lemonade
Are you overwhelmed by the task of your recovery? Or are you pushing too far or too fast and suffering rebound for your efforts?… Who would not want to speed their way out of trauma? It feels awful… It is better to tale one seemingly absurdly small step that you can handle and succeed with safely than to over-stretch your limits and risk backsliding or a worsening of your symptoms. – Dr. Babette Rothschild
I personally feel that this book is a must have for all survivors. I hope that you would give it a try and I hope that this book transforms you in ways that you never thought possible.
Blessings and Love
