The traumatic experience that is associated with an individual's life can be either physical or mental. It may involve incidents such as violence, abuse, loss of family members, disasters, accidents, etc. These events are known to trigger stressful reactions among individuals which affect their lives in several ways. When people undergo severe traumas, it becomes challenging for them to live their everyday life due to fear of recurrence. They experience symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, hypervigilance, low self-esteem, depression, and others. Such symptoms make it difficult for them to maintain healthy relationships, especially if they are romantic. This article will discuss the psychological factors that foster long-term psychosexual resilience after emotional or relational trauma.
The first factor that facilitates resilience is social support. Friends, families, colleagues, neighbors, classmates, peers, etc., provide social support to help one overcome trauma-related difficulties. When a person faces difficulties in life, these friends come together to offer him/her social support to recover from the trauma. Such individuals play a significant role in boosting his/her morale during tough times, which makes them feel cared for and loved by society. The feeling of belongingness encourages them to continue living despite the negative effects of the trauma.
When a mother loses her child because of a tragic accident, she feels saddened.
Her partner, friend, or neighbor comforts her by saying things like 'You are not alone.' With this message, she feels strengthened to keep going in life. As such, social support helps survivors overcome adversities through emotional healing processes.
Another vital factor is posttraumatic growth (PTG). It refers to an individual's positive changes experienced as a result of exposure to stressful situations. PTG entails the realization of new possibilities, improved interpersonal relations, appreciation of life, new meaning, spiritual awakening, and many others. According to studies, people who go through traumas experience various positive changes as they learn how to manage their lives better. This can happen if the victim understands his/her limitations and builds on them to transform his/her challenges into opportunities.
After losing a loved one, the survivor may realize that life has no guarantees, so he/she must make maximum use of time by enjoying every moment. He/she will learn to appreciate people more, be grateful for every day, and strive towards personal development. These changes contribute to resilience because they encourage the person to focus on the positives instead of dwelling on negatives.
Positive thinking is another psychological factor responsible for long-term psychosexual resilience. Positivity enables individuals to think optimistically about their future despite negative experiences, which improves their psychological well-being. When people engage in positive thinking, they see themselves as capable of handling any situation while focusing on the benefits.
When someone faces job loss due to recession, he/she might feel disappointed but choose to view it as a chance for exploration. Instead of getting depressed, he/she decides to search for other opportunities to earn money and improve himself/herself. Such an attitude contributes to psychosexual resilience because it encourages individuals to overcome problems constructively.
The fourth vital factor is therapy. People who undergo severe trauma require professional help to treat their symptoms related to such incidents. A mental health expert helps victims identify the issues affecting their emotional stability and offers advice on how to deal with them effectively. Counseling can occur through individual or group sessions where the therapist uses different techniques like mindfulness meditation, relaxation therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), etc., to treat trauma survivors.
After a traumatic incident, a victim may experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The therapist will use CBT to change his/her thoughts by helping him/her understand that life has more to offer besides the negatives. He/she will also encourage the client to focus on positive things to reduce PTSD symptoms. Through this process, victims learn how to handle future difficulties positively and become resilient to stressful situations.
Self-care plays a significant role in enhancing long-term psychosexual resilience. Self-care entails activities that promote personal growth by enhancing wellbeing. These include exercise, sleep, eating well, socializing, and others. When people engage in these practices regularly, they manage their lives better than those who do not care for themselves.
When someone feels anxious due to the loss of loved ones, he/she might find it challenging to cope up without seeking support from friends.
Participating in physical exercises such as jogging, dancing, swimming, yoga, etc., enables him/her to release stress and tension, which contributes to his/her emotional stability. This helps him/her develop coping strategies to overcome future difficulties.
Social support, posttraumatic growth, positive thinking, therapy, and self-care are some factors that facilitate long-term psychosexual resilience after emotional or relational trauma. They help individuals recover from adversities by developing constructive ways of handling life's challenges. Thus, survivors should seek professional guidance and practice self-love to improve their quality of life despite negative experiences.
Which psychological factors foster long-term psychosexual resilience after emotional or relational trauma?
After experiencing emotional or relational trauma, individuals may develop long-term psychosexual resilience through various psychological factors that help them cope with and overcome their experiences. These factors include developing healthy coping strategies such as mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or exposure therapy.