The Legacy of Trauma
In my work as a psychotherapist, I was familiar with ways trauma impacts those who have suffered abuse or discrimination. It can affect both psychological and physical health with chronic conditions. The person's sense of trust is often impaired, along with the ability to discriminate between what is real and what is a psychological projection of trauma. Survivors often experience being let down, compounding mistrust and making it harder to accept help. The unconscious tends to draw us towards the familiar, despite conscious efforts to change. We unwittingly keep being attracted to those who appear benevolent, but who end up repeating the abuse. Even with awareness, I too found myself repeatedly falling into relationship traps and compounding the trauma. Amongst complex and often overwhelming feelings, it is hardly surprising that some survivors carry reservoirs of unexpressed rage. At the time of abuse it may have been impossible or dangerous to protest, so it is bottled up. Frus