Telling your story is powerful.
People open up and come to terms with their recovery process, with the encouragement of others!
Between therapy, group therapy and building relationships, everyone that enters into residential treatment has the opportunity to share their story.
Sharing a personal narrative, a story, is significant part of the process to healing.
This process of telling your story can improve your own perception of your past and help you recover.
Healing Through Trauma
Authors Bill and Cinthia McFeature are publishing a new book titled “Integrated Health: HeartPath Practitioner Assessment and Treatment for the Trauma-Exposed Patient”.
In this book, they specifically address how trauma impacts a persons’ ability to heal.
Having traumatic experiences can greatly impact mental health conditions and substance abuse situations.
We all tell stories in our daily conversations. And when the listener is listening from the heart, there is knowledge, and healing cathartic energy gained from the telling of the story. We have had great leaders around the world. Such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, who placed emphasis on nonviolent approaches to conflict.
The hope was to promote social harmony and reconciliation.
This is because truth and reconciliation promote the belief that confronting and reckoning with the past story and experiences on an individual basis will offer resilience and solutions for the global perspective.
This is necessary for successful transitions from conflict, resentment, and tension to peace and connectedness. Interestingly in South Africa, they formulated The Truth and Reconciliation Commission to reveal the value to the stories as lived experiences.
“A commission is a necessary exercise to enable South Africans to come to terms with their past on a morally accepted basis and to advance the cause of reconciliation,” says Mr Dullah Omar, former Minister of Justice. http://www.justice.gov.za/Trc/
It is the unique and personal story which impacts and forms beliefs and perception from the lived-experience. Narratives hold a sacred place for an individual or a group. Narrative therapy and thematic analysis allow the clinician to break down and highlight the recurring themes and patterns.
These themes emerge naturally within the autobiographic story and open up an opportunity for healing and finding a unifying purpose for self and others.
Holistic Approach To Healing
Bill and Cinthia McFeature also authored the book entitled “HeartPath Practitioner” where they outline a more holistic approach to healing.
This idea of reaching beyond surface level problems is one reason why dual diagnosis is also an effective tool in a residential treatment center setting.
Whether it is trauma, substance abuse, mental health or other factors playing a role.
Each case is unique and complex.
These tools help to discover the root of the surface symptoms.
With trauma, especially, it is important to address all of the different ways it can be held and manifested throughout life.
Therapy in the Residential Treatment Center
Therapy is another amazing outlet for clients, as they enter the residential treatment center.
The road to recovery cannot begin without a solid foundation in therapy!
Group therapy, family therapy, and individual therapy are all great ways to share feelings and express emotions.
These therapy settings at the residential treatment center are a safe space to make progress.
Despite popular belief, therapy isn’t just people sitting and sharing their feelings!
It is vital that you share your story – but the trained professionals are there to guide each client, group or family to a place of healing.
There are patterns, rhythms and tools in place to help address problems and solve them for the future.
The skills taught in therapy have the ability to teach coping mechanisms, life skills, and to prevent future conflicts.
Our brains are very complex.
The way they work with the rest of our body is amazing!
This is one more consideration that the professionals you are surrounded by in a residential treatment center take very seriously.
There are medical staff, psychologists, psychiatrists and program directors who focus on making each clients’ recovery possible.
With the right combination of self-care practices, therapy, recreation,exercise and other creative activities – all of these things lead clients on a journey to a life of long lasting recovery.
Telling Your Story Is Not Selfish
Sharing your story is one way to help yourself through therapy. Not to mention it can help tremendously with recovery.
But it can also be a huge help to others as well!
When other people hear someone share their story of trauma, abuse, depression or whatever experience it may be?
They start to feel a connection. We naturally connect with people through shared experiences!
Even if the experiences aren’t very similar, that common ground starts to bond us together.
There are billions of people in this world!
Someone out there that may have some experiences or feelings that are similar to yours. Someone who is struggling just like you.
Many people suffer in silence, alone1
There are communities emerging to support finding mental health help online.
These online communities are all about sharing their stories and experiences. People with schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder and other conditions are sharing their stories online.
They are spreading the message of mental health awareness and telling people just how common it is to feel broken and out of place but how wrong they are!
They are not alone.
When they share their story, others feel the connection. They are inspired to take action and even find help for themselves!
Finding help in a residential treatment center is a big decision. It is perhaps the best decision you can make!
Recovery is possible with hard work and the right support. Telling your story and sharing your experiences can help heal emotional scars.
Trauma can damage us. And they are nearly impossible to deal with appropriately- alone.
Behavioral health programs like the ones at New Roads are designed to help individuals succeed.
Find the life you’ve been meaning to live with the skills that you need to live it! Call our admissions team today: 888-358-8998