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20 signs you’re dealing with trauma. You’re welcome. Share it please! The SANCTUARY Ebook is free here at Joy-Based Living.

20 SIGNS that you could be suffering from unprocessed, unresolved emotional trauma. If you recognize yourself in this list, that’s the first step to finding your way back to YOU. Which of these apply to you? Action: Use this list as a conversation starter with a friend, coach or therapist. You can review it every few weeks to gage your progress.

1. You’re stuck. Important areas of your life aren’t changing and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to move forward.
2. You keep repeating the same patterns and same themes. Maybe you’ve already come to the conclusion that it’s not them, it’s YOU! But you still can’t seem to stop attracting the same crappy story.
3. You habitually play second fiddle to someone else’s priorities or moods.
4. You compulsively freeze or fawn (people please) when you have a relationship difficulty. You might also fight or take flight.
5. You frequently experience relationship difficulties.
6. Your body experiences stress in the belly/ lower belly, and in the upper back.
7. Your therapists are confused by you. You seem strong, smart and resilient and they can’t figure out why you’re still stuck.
8. You can’t seem to figure it out either.
9. You emotionally disconnect from people when they’re talking.
10. You compulsively “people please” (you do it whether or not you have a relationship difficulty).
11. You have a hard time saying NO to others, especially if you care about them.
    (Example: “I didn’t want to be a bitch.”)
12. You have a hard time saying YES to yourself, especially if it’s something that might make you feel important or in power.
13. Hence, you sabotage your efforts… right when it counts, you screw it up. Again.
14. Which leads you to not trust yourself. Which can feel really fucked up.
15. You have difficulty staying focused.
16. You’re scattered.
17. You have difficulty remembering things.
18. You’re tired a lot.
19. You deny feelings of rage and grief on YOUR own behalf because of something that happened to YOU, or you meet these feelings with harsh resistance rather than acknowledgement and compassion.
20. You perpetuate emotional abuse toward yourself and/or others due to denial or simply not knowing what else to do.

SANCTUARY: 4 Mantras for Thriving After Emotional Trauma by Debbie Happy Cohen © 2019

The SANCTUARY Ebook is free here at Joy-Based Living.