Letting go of past trauma involves acknowledging your pain, practicing self-compassion, and using grounding techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, and yoga, while also seeking support from trusted individuals or professionals for specialized therapy (like EMDR) to process and release traumatic memories and nervous system dysregulation, rebuilding safety, and creating new, positive experiences. Healing isn't linear, so be patient, maintain routines, avoid isolation, and prioritize self-care like healthy eating and sleep.
Wise Choices
Trauma has lasting effects on the brain. It can become difficult to feel fully alive in the present moment. When we are not living in the moment, we are reliving the past—or fearful of what might happen in the future. Our experiences also shape our beliefs about ourselves.
Safety and Stabilization. People affected by trauma tend to feel unsafe in their bodies and in their relationships with others. Regaining a sense of safety may take days to weeks with acutely traumatized individuals or months to years with individuals who have experienced ongoing/chronic abuse.
The key is finding ways to release that stored trauma and chronic stress. Practices like somatic experiencing, yoga, and meditation can help regulate the nervous system and promote relaxation. By releasing trauma from the body, we can start to experience greater physical and emotional well-being.
8 Trauma Release Exercises to Try at Home
Because our nervous system and brain can hold onto painful and traumatic events, chronic pain can be very real and present even after the physical injury has healed.
While all traumas leave a profound mark on an individual's life, there's a different level of difficulty in recovering from what's called "complex trauma." Unlike single-incident traumas, complex trauma stems from repeated experiences of stressful and traumatic events, usually in environments where there's no escape.
It won't rid you of PTSD and your fears, but let your tears flow and you'll maybe feel a little better afterwards. 'Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain.
The five stages of trauma
What are the first steps I can take to begin the process of letting go? Start by acknowledging your emotions and the situation you need to let go of. Reflect on why holding on is harmful and consider what positive outcomes may arise from releasing it. Accept that letting go is a process that takes time.
“For trauma survivors, especially those who've experienced neglect or emotional invalidation, oversharing can feel like a fast-track to safety or intimacy — even if it bypasses healthy relationship pacing.” Figueroa adds that you might also overshare intimate details to avoid feeling rejected or unseen.
The 5-5-5 rule for anxiety is a grounding technique that uses deep breathing and sensory focus to calm the nervous system: breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds, repeating this cycle while also identifying five things you can see, five you can touch, and five you can hear, helping to interrupt anxious thoughts and bring you back to the present moment. It's a simple way to reset, calm your mind, and shift focus from worries to your physical sensations and surroundings.
Signs of Unresolved Trauma May Include:
The "3 C's of Trauma" usually refer to Connect, Co-Regulate, and Co-Reflect, a model for trauma-informed care focusing on building safe relationships, helping individuals manage overwhelming emotions (co-regulation), and processing experiences (co-reflection). Other "3 C's" include Comfort, Conversation, and Commitment for children's coping, and Catch, Check, Change from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for challenging negative thoughts in trauma recovery.
Trauma dumping occurs when an individual shares their traumatic experiences without the recipient's consent, often at inappropriate times or places. This act can place undue emotional pressure on someone who may not be prepared or able to process such intense information.
7 Clear Signs Your Body Is Releasing Stored Trauma
The 'fight or flight' response is how people sometimes refer to our body's automatic reactions to fear. There are actually 5 of these common responses, including 'freeze', 'flop' and 'friend', as well as 'fight' or 'flight'.
Fatigue can develop because releasing trauma can be physically and emotionally exhausting. You may feel more tired as your mind works through complex emotions and memories. Additionally, the trauma release may involve physical sensations or movements that can be tiring.
Eight common categories of childhood trauma, often called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by the CDC and others, include physical/sexual/emotional abuse, neglect, domestic violence, household substance abuse, mental illness in the home, parental separation/divorce, or having a household member imprisoned, all of which significantly impact a child's development and long-term health. These traumatic events teach children that their world is unsafe, affecting their brains, bodies, and ability to form healthy relationships later in life, leading to issues like chronic stress, attachment problems, dissociation, and hypervigilance.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Most people who go through traumatic events may have a hard time adjusting and coping for a short time. But with time and by taking good care of themselves, they usually get better.
A Level IV Trauma Center has demonstrated an ability to provide advanced trauma life support (ATLS) prior to transfer of patients to a higher level trauma center. It provides evaluation, stabilization, and diagnostic capabilities for injured patients.
Can I heal from childhood trauma without therapy? While professional support is recommended, self-healing strategies like mindfulness, journaling, creative expression, and physical practices can support recovery.
Often, when someone is stuck in the past, it's because of unresolved emotions. It can be difficult to address these feelings, especially if they relate to painful experiences. However, recognising and accepting our emotions is the first step towards emotional healing and growth.
The resulting body maps suggest that people often feel: anger in the head or chest. disgust in the mouth and stomach. sadness in the throat and chest.