Healing from Domestic Violence: How Is Trauma Treatment Hopeful?

Recovering from domestic violence is tough, especially if it's been going on for a while. Even though there's not a ton of research on what works best, survivors have different ways to heal and take control of their lives again. Let's look at how treating trauma and connecting with your body can help, along with some tips for feeling safe and well again.

Understanding How Your Body Helps with Healing

Our bodies can tell us a lot about how we're feeling and what we need to heal. Those "gut feelings" you might get aren't just random—they can help you figure out what's safe and what's not. Therapy can help survivors understand how their emotions and physical sensations are connected, which can make them feel safer and more in control.

How Domestic Violence Trauma Shows Up in Your Body

After experiencing domestic violence, you might notice physical signs like panic attacks or feeling disconnected from your body. Panic attacks are when you suddenly feel really scared and your body reacts with things like a fast heartbeat or shaking. Dissociation is like a protective shield your mind puts up to block out scary feelings, sometimes making you feel like you're not really there or you can’t feel the pain.

Ways to Reconnect With Yourself and Heal

Practices like mindfulness and grounding exercises can help survivors feel more connected to their bodies. Things like the 3-3-3 grounding exercise and mindfulness meditation can help you focus on the present moment, which can ease stress and make you feel more in touch with reality. Sensorimotor therapy, which is about reconnecting with your senses, can also be helpful (Bessel Van der Kolk, 2015).

How to Treat Complex Trauma, Ongoing Intimate Partner Violence

Healing from domestic violence usually happens in stages. First, it's about making sure you're safe and building a good relationship with your therapist. Then, you learn ways to cope with what you've been through. Later on, it's about recovering from the trauma and finding meaning in your life again. Some programs, like the Grady Mia project, are designed to help survivors from different backgrounds heal in their own ways.

There’s hope for healing from domestic violence.

Even though we're still learning about the best ways to help survivors of domestic violence, it's clear that treating trauma needs to be personal, spiritual and consider the whole person. By using techniques that connect the mind and body, building supportive relationships, and respecting different cultures, survivors can take back control of their lives and move forward from the pain of the past.

If you’re ready to feel better, call your trauma therapist in Denver, CO at 720-577-5985.

References:

Mindfulness Exercises from the Mayo Clinic staff.

Stress Management from Johns Hopkins Healthcare.

Van der Kolk, Bessel (2015) The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Penguin, NYC, NY.

Warsaw, C & Sullivan, C (2013) A Systematic Review of Trauma-Focused Interventions for Domestic Violence Survivors. National Center for Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health.