A Guide to Helping Your Family Member Heal from Trauma

by Rayanne M. Writer

The image source is Unsplash.

When a family member goes through a traumatic situation, your impulse is to want to help. But it can be challenging to know what to do to help someone you love and care about when they’ve gone through a terrifying event you can’t even fathom going through.

It’s essential to accept that something horrific is happening to someone you care about and there is nothing you can do or say that will make the pain of the situation disappear entirely. Time, rest, and emotional support from professionals are what are going to do that. Your family member needs to know that they’re not alone and you will support them in whatever way they need.

Offer Support by Caring for Yourself

As you help a family member recover from trauma, it can take a toll on you emotionally. Your intense desire to help your loved one heal could lead to you not caring for yourself as you should. You are like a gas tanker hauling gas for others that never stops putting gas in its tank. Pretty soon, you’re going to run out of fuel. Intuitive type of coaching could be just what you need to heal yourself and keep yourself in a position where you can help your friends and family. Intuitive coaching helps introduce you to new habits, thoughts, and changes in your life. It can help you be the person you want to be. When you’re happy, you are in a better position to help others.

Offer Support by Making Time to Be With Them

The most valuable thing you can give a loved one who has experienced trauma is your time. Make space in your schedule to be with the person, and make sure they know and feel you are available. Sadly, when someone goes through trauma, it is normal for friends and family members to want them to get over it well before they’re ready to do that. This is partly because knowing that someone has gone through trauma can make you feel uncomfortable.

Family members must fight this tendency. They must be patient as they serve as a source of support for the traumatized family member. Many who have experienced trauma are reassured by positive human contact.

Offer Support by Listening Without Judging

When a person goes through a trauma, they may be prone to depression, irritability, anger, or fear-based reactions. Family members are supportive by not taking those actions to heart. Don’t take it personally. It’s important to understand that your loved one has had a stressful experience and is likely still trying to understand themselves. With time, their reactions to things will return to normal. In the interim, they need love and patience.

Offer Support by Allowing the Person to Talk

When a person goes through trauma, which leads to depression, they might relive the traumatic events repeatedly in their mind. You may have to sit patiently as they tell you the same stories, express the same feelings, and discuss the same doubts repeatedly. However, they will benefit from having someone who listens to them carefully. Even if your loved one becomes upset, keep calm and continue to listen.

It can feel frustrating, especially if you have not experienced similar trauma, because you can’t completely understand what they went through. But what you need to do, as an empathetic listener, is reassure them that you care about what they experienced and you want to understand what happened to them.

Don’t insist on forcing your family to talk if they are not ready. They might need some time alone with their thoughts to process things. Let them know you are there to listen whenever they are prepared to talk.

If some difficult decisions must be made, talk to the person about the situation and help them find the best options. Resist the urge to try to make decisions for your family members. If the trauma is recent, you may even suggest that your loved one wait a little before making big decisions.

Your Support Is Appreciated

Helping a family member through trauma is an emotionally, physically, and mentally trying task. At times, you may feel unappreciated. However, keep being a source of strength to your family members. Your support is needed and appreciated even if they don’t express that.