Relationships

Friends, family, and intimacy can all be impacted by trauma and loss. Relationships can be supportive or destructive. Even though some try to help, feelings of isolation and alienation are common following trauma and loss. The injury, death, betrayal, or abandonment has happened to us. We hear people say, “Life goes on. Get over it. Suck it up. Move on.” These attempts at support might help a little, but our deepest selves stay blocked because reminders of the loss are everywhere. Those we have held closest can seem farther away than ever. Nobody seems to get it.

We may have lost one of the most important people in our lives or we may have been the person who walked away because we realized we couldn’t go on like that anymore. We can recall life meant something. It can feel like the meaning there once was has been sucked out of life. We can’t even remember clearly what it was. All we know is we have to get through it and we can’t ignore it because it keeps lingering there, just behind our attempts to keep busy and distract ourselves.

It can seem futile, but there is hope. It will be a struggle, no doubt about it. But you can redefine who you are. To discover the meaning of trauma and loss has on your relationships, talk to Dr. Dawson.