How are we doing, here? I feel like I tend to run all over the place on this forum but my treatment focus is actually healing trauma. There are days I'm doing well, there are days where I feel like I'm barely keeping my sanity. There are days I wish I didn't exist. Healing is so hard and it doesn't happen overnight. Because trauma changes your brain and how you think.

That being said, I am hopeful. I hope you guys are hopeful too. Recently I have been motivated to ask questions and learn more. I found these books at my library and wanted to share them.

Peace From Broken Pieces: How To Get Through What You're Going Through - by Iyanla Vanzant

Living & Loving After Betrayal: How to Heal from Emotional Abuse, Deceit, Infidelity, and Chronic Resentment - by Steven Stosny, PH.D.

The Ecstasy of Surrender: 12 Surprising Ways Letting Go Can Empower Your Life - By Judith Orloff, M.D.

leave your mind behind: the everyday practice of finding stillness amid rushing thoughts - by Matthew McKay, ph.d and Catherine Sutker.

A book I bought that specifically focuses on healing trauma is:

yoga for emotional trauma: meditations and practices for healing pain and suffering - by Mary NurrieStearns and Rick NurrieStearns.

I personally find books with meditations, exercises, and practices to be very helpful as I work through this. I feel by actively doing these things you can begin to change what has happened to your mind/brain. They make me feel calm and peaceful, and more in control and centered. Again, this doesn't happen overnight. It's called a practice because you must practice over time. The yoga book is teaching me a lot about self-compassion and how to treat myself more lovingly. And it's not just yoga possesses, it's writing exercises, affirmations, mantras, meditations, and things like that. So if you can't or don't want to do yoga poses, you can still benefit from what's in the book. From what I read, yoga is often recommended for those who have PTSD or have been through traumatic experiences. I am more open to learning than I used to be. It also helps one manage stress. Meditation improves focus and mental clarity and is also stress management. It allows your mind to have a break. Starting out, it's recommended to only meditate for either 10 or 15 minutes. If you want to meditate longer down the road, you can. But start with something easy. There are days when being in my mind feels like I am in Hell, so doing a meditation to have a break from it does wonders.

I hope the rest of you are doing well on your healing journey. For me, it's still very messy, up and down. But I feel like I'm getting through it. .