#3 Therapy Take Out - Having "Glimmers", + Impact of Trauma on Immunity
Glimmers: "tiny micro moments of joy."
Welcome to Therapy Take-Out! Think of this series of posts like an order your placed with Shake Shack but instead of food you’re getting bite sized pieces of my therapy sessions delivered to you at home. Yeah Shake Shack might sound better but this is better for your mental health people! If you don’t have time for therapy, or you feel a bit weary about the whole thing - I wanted to be able to share with you what’s helping me.
When you can physically and visually see that therapy is working - you feel like this.
Also to note - this is one of my favorite TV shows of all fucking time. Anyway back to therapy. I’m finally seeing the “glimmers” of happiness, confidence, joy, authenticity and the decrease in people pleasing, overthinking, a majorly dis-regulated nervous system and the like. I am not cured. I am seeing the changes and guys? I love it. The inner work is beyond difficult. The nightmares and the flashbacks are still happening but the glimmers are sparking through.
Also did I mention that I’m not getting sick as often? More on the crazy connection between childhood trauma and our immunity systems below.
Insights for this week:
You may go to therapy for one thing but it’s something else entirely. I was telling my therapist this week that it’s funny that I went to her for anxiety but it turned out that it was just an off-shoot of the bigger problem that was unseen - a mother with NPD and major childhood trauma that needed to addressed. Anxiety was just a symptom of that trauma. The short of it is - when you go to therapy be open to the fact that things may open up. Prepare for the ride. It’s all worth it in the end.
Connection between trauma + immune systems. I used to get sick a lot - weird stomach issues, mystery rashes, the common cold constantly, ear infections, every random virus known to man etc. Ever since removing myself from the people that were causing the trauma - I have not been sick once. Literally. There have been many scientific studies regarding this connection of childhood trauma with immune systems and chronic illnesses.
“A new study led by UCLA Health found that a person’s sex and their unique experiences of childhood trauma can have specific consequences for their biological health and risk of developing 20 major diseases later in life.” - UCLA Health
Two self care things I’m doing this week:
Make note of the glimmers - when I’m in a glimmer moment in my day to day this week I’m going to soak it in like sunshine.
Drinking more water - Pilates, strength workouts and meditation are my self-care must haves - especially now. I honestly don’t drink enough freaking water. Evidence? My pee was bright yellow this morning. TMI? Don’t care! Making a point to cut down on the seltzer and drink actual water.
See you next week!
Kelly