Judith Herman's- Stages of Recovery from Trauma.

We have talked about some of the results of traumatic childhood experiences and have tried to address each one of them separately. But I thought Judith Herman gives a good review of some of the most common ones.

• Difficulty regulating emotions and impulses
• Emotional numbing
• Anger and aggression
• Substance addictions
• Behavioral addictions (porn, anonymous sex, gambling, etc.)
• Self-harming behaviors (cutting, burning, etc.)
• Dissociation (spacing out, blanking out, losing time, etc.)

Judith Herman's work on Trauma is considered landmark work and her book  Trauma and Recovery is considered a classic. In this book she talks about recovery happening in 3 stages.

Stage 1: personal safety, self care emotional regulation.

• It is not about discussing or processing memories, but instead about establishing safety and stability in one’s body, one’s relationships, and the rest of one’s life.
• Developing one’s own inner strengths
• Learning how to regulate one’s emotions and manage symptoms that cause suffering or make one feel unsafe.
• Developing and strengthening skills for managing painful and unwanted experiences, and minimizing unhelpful responses to them.
• Addressing problems with alcohol or drugs, depression, eating behaviors, physical health, panic attacks, and/or dissociation (e.g., spacing out, losing time).
• Taking medication to reduce anxiety and/or depressive symptoms

Stage 2: remembrance and mourning.

• Reviewing and/or discussing memories to lessen their emotional intensity, to revise their meanings for one’s life and identity, etc.
• Working through grief about unwanted or abusive experiences and their negative effects on one’s life.
• Mourning or working through grief about good experiences that one did not have, but that all children deserve.

Stage 3:Reconnecting

• The third stage of recovery focuses on reconnecting with people, meaningful activities, and other aspects of life.

This summary is taken from:
https://1in6.org/men/get-information/online-readings/recovery-and-therapy/stages-of-recovery/judith-hermans-stages-of-recovery/

Judith Herman created the Victims of Violence Program that continues today in Cambridge, MA. For more information on their program go to ....http://www.challiance.org/Services/VictimsofViolenceProgram.aspx

"In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return.

You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life."-Elder Anderson, Ensign May 2014

I want to be careful to note that this quote does not mean that god sends abuse to strengthen you. That is NOT true. Abuse is a result of another person's horrible choices. But I do want to stress the last part of Elder Anderson's quote.  He made your spirit strong and capable of  being resilient to the whirlwinds of life that is thrown at you!!! 

Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ