*Shadow Work - Your Trauma is Valid

I saw the below quote on Facebook and it really hit home for me. From personal experience I found it very hard when people try to invalidate my trauma ie theirs was worse. They had a worse time. I’m lucky I got that cancer as their friends was way worse. I’m lucky my scleroderma test results show XYZ as theirs or their friends was way worse. I couldn’t put my finger on why the comparisons made me feel bad, they were probably true. I didn’t want pity and I’m a pretty upbeat person, but I also felt like it was a bit of a kick when I was not asking for a comparison.

“Your Trauma is Valid. Even if other people have experienced worse. Even if someone else who went through the same experience doesn’t feel debilitated by it. Even if ‘it could have been avoided’. Even if it happened a long time ago. Even if no one knows. Your trauma is real and valid, and you deserve a space to talk about it. It isn’t desperate or pathetic or attention-seeking. It’s self-care. It’s inconceivably brave. And regardless of the magnitude of your struggle, you’re allowed to take care of yourself by processing and unloading some of the pain you carry. Your pain matters. Your experience matters. And your healing matters. Nothing and no one can take that away. Daniell Koepke”