Hello. As I said at the top of this message, this seems appropriate. Please tell me if it's not.
We've talked before about the people who I work with or have worked with using drugs to shut out all experiences and realities. Heroin is probably the most obvious one in this category. It puts you in a lovely warm cocoon that keeps you safe and cozy....until the high wears off. Then, of course, they do another shot and the cycle of addiction has begun anew.
I myself am going through a period where I am remembering a rape I went through thirty years ago. No, I don't remember any more details than I did before (it's kind of late for that anyways), but I know for sure that it happened. That in itself is a major breakthrough for me. Before, it was always a "maybe it happened, maybe it didn't....but there's nothing I can do about it now so I'll just ignore these thoughts and dreams." Now is not the time for that.
So, seeing as how I know that I went through this rape and whereas I know that I'm not going to hurt myself and even have people I have sworn to keep updated on my condition just to be on the safe side, what do I do with this person whom I will name "Bob". This is a spiritual emergency in the Groffian sense, is it not? What do I do to help "Bob" make it safely back to life? And what do I tell Bob when he asks about what he can do with this thirty year gap in his history? It's not like he hasn't done anything with that time--he has and continues to do a lot in many areas. But what should Bob do now to make himself more complete than he is in here in Wounded, WA. (Okay, so the place name is fictitious, but the rest is pretty much true.) Bob
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Bob and all: I also believe trauma and recovery are indeed unique to each individual as Darlene mentioned. Each life that encounters it takes it's own journey. I'm not a therapist, but I want to honor your willingness to be vulnerable and share here in the group. I think it speaks deeply to the topic Darlene has put forward, and to her capacity as a leader (even in an online space) to create a safe container. I believe (as does Stan Grof and many other wonderful minds in this work) that being witnessed is a big part of healing as well. Please know you are seen here, for what its worth, and I'm sure I join many others who wish you well in your process.
Hello Bob,
Maybe first trying to heal this trauma via a method like EMDR, especially when you're suffering flashbacks. It could help find the rest again. Yes, even after 30 years.
Light, Life and Love,
Pieter.
Reclaiming of oneself and one's history is indeed a psychospiritual process and when it contains traumatic material it can also be a crisis or emergency. Healing and recovery are at once unique to the individual and yet available to all.
Perhaps what I am about to post in the new discussion thread will spark a beginning to some possible answers. Please do respond about whether or not it seems helpful/useful in any way.
There are also of course private channels for seeking safety, and this is a wise course of action. Both Jungian and Spiritual Emergence Network resources are available, based on one's city and also over the Internet. If specific referrals are needed, it would be important to know that.