Caroline Cavanagh shares a story of someone who survived severe abuse and lost all hope, then gradually rebuilt their life to start a new job and enjoy socializing again. A portrait of how trauma recovery happens, and why reaching out matters.
Chapters
In the current world that we're living in, from viruses through to invasions, it's very easy to feel down, to lose hope. My personal definition of depression is loss of hope, and if you can relate to that, then please allow me to share a story with you. I started working with a person a while ago who had lost so much hope that they could hardly speak. In the first session we had, ironically, I did a lot of the talking. Everywhere was a source of fear. They'd been a victim of significant physical and emotional abuse. Being around other human beings, even ones that they knew, Still was a source of fear, leaving them to be constantly on that high alert state, and it was exhausting. And they felt, how can there ever be hope? Because everywhere I look is a potential source of that violence again. Now, however, They've just started a new job in a new area, going out into a social environment with complete strangers and having a good time. Something that they would have said relatively recently was no chance of ever happening. Their world has completely changed, and all along they had hope That it could be better. This story may not be directly relevant to you, but I share it purely because whatever your situation, this story may give you that little bit of hope. All you need is a little ember that can then grow into a flame that can then grow into a fire. Things can change when you keep hope, and there are people out there To help. So whichever state of hopelessness you're in, please reach out to someone. Have hope that if for that person their world could change from what it was to what it is now, it can for you too.
