Category Archives: inspiring
Post-Trauma Peace
Helpful Advice for Trauma Survivors
Sadness, shame, helplessness, anger, vulnerability, embarrassment, disappointment and frustration are the eight unpleasant feelings that prevent us from having a happier life according to Dr. Joan Rosenberg.
Whatever trauma you have been through, let me first congratulate you because you have made it through! All trauma is unique for each situation, however, the “after effects” are most, or all, of these unpleasant feelings. Holding on to them holds you back from happiness.
I know for me, I felt completely helpless and vulnerable, which led to me hiding away in my house to play video games all day. I became lazy and overweight. I ate whatever I wanted, drank beer and smoked pot everyday to deal with my sadness and shame. Many things about my trauma, and how it was handled by the military, caused great disappointment, frustration and even anger.
This anger symptom was the first one I recognized and dealt with a few years ago. Simply put, anger is one letter away from danger! Over time, I have managed to change my life for the better by dealing with these unpleasant feelings in a productive way, rather than a destructive way. I eat healthy, non-processed food and drink fresh lemon water and do 22 push-ups a day. I have gone from 240 lbs down to 170 lbs. I used to wear a size 42 pant and am down to a size 32. My blood pressure was 166/111 and now it is down to 120/80. I am much happier now! Up until 2019, I was still holding onto disappointment and frustration from my military career. I was advised by a good friend to go see Veterans Affairs to see if they could help me. It was very difficult for me to be vulnerable and to ask for help, but I am glad that I did. Just as McDonald’s had terrible coffee and changed it to great coffee, so it is with Veterans Affairs. They had a reputation of not really caring and I thought it might be a waste of my time, but I was very wrong. I was met with love and compassion and I felt like my concerns were finally being addressed. This has allowed me to start to heal that part of my life. I realize it is not this way for everyone, but I had a good case manager.
If you’re like most trauma survivors and feel anxiety often, then listen closely:
You have two different nervous systems. One is called sympathetic and the other is parasympathetic. Parasympathetic is when you are calm and at peace, just like before you fall asleep. Your body heals while you sleep and when you are calm during the times you are awake. On the other hand, the sympathetic state kicks in when you see a bear with her cubs 10 feet away. Your heart rate and blood pressure go into survival mode and you are prevented from healing. Staying in this state is harmful to your health.
I spent years always anxious and worried, as a blood pressure of 166/111 would tell you, but over time I changed my habits and I have learned that the most important person to take care of in your life is YOU. In order to take care of yourself, you must deal with past negatives to make room for the positives.
This is indeed different for every person, depending on your circumstances, but for me, I found classical music, warm salt baths, and having a personal relationship with Jesus to be most helpful. Whatever brings you to that place of calm and peace, should be your direction in life from now on. Not talking about meditation here, just a natural state of calm. Also, deal with every unpleasant feeling or situation that comes along as positively as you can so you can quickly go back to your healing state of peace.
In 2016, I saw a statistic that said 22 military members take their life everyday and that shook me to the core. I had also heard of a group of former military personnel that do 22 push-ups a day to bring awareness, and also, in some weird way, to put our collective energy into combating this tragedy. This was the very beginning of my healing journey that has brought me this far.
If you are ever considering now or in the future to end your life for whatever reason, please understand that you have a real purpose for the life that you have been given. There are countless people, including myself, who have been at the bottom of a hopeless pit wanting to just die, but I am here to tell you that no matter how bad things get, they will always get better! I am living proof of that, so please never ever allow yourself to feel that way again. Keep breathing!
My definition of confidence is: the deep sense that you can handle the emotional outcome of whatever you face or pursue in life. I hope this article brings you understanding and confidence to handle whatever you face or pursue in your journey from trauma to peace.
The Everlasting Gospel
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Rev 14, 6-7
Creation Science
Dr. Jason Lisle is a great speaker and presenter of some amazing facts about our earth, the universe and how God really did create everything thousands of years ago, not billions. There are many proofs of this but you will have to watch these presentations to learn of them all.
Try to get through the first few minutes of him explaining things before you give up. It is worth hanging around to watch all if this presentation…trust me!
Complex-P.T.S.D Help
Complex P.T.S.D is many stressful incidents over a period of time. It can also be called childhood P.T.S.D.
I have found much help from this You Tube channel called The Crappy Childhood Fairy and want to share her introduction video. I hope her channel helps someone else as much as me in my healing process.
A great first video to get you started in healing.
The Answer Is Right Under Your Feet!
If you suffer from inflammation, depression, sleepless nights, heart problems, poor blood circulation or a long list of other health conditions then you may want to watch this informative short documentary. With spring here and summer on the horizon we are able to kick off our shoes and connect with the ground again. If you don’t have the time to watch this documentary right away then save it for later when you do. It will change your life and your health!
Porn In Our Modern Society
When I was a child growing up in the 70’s, I was never exposed to pornography. The porn at that time was in corner store magazines on the top shelf, far out of reach from all little children. Later on when VHS tapes became popular in the 80’s, you could find porn in stores that had their windows covered so you could not see in, and you couldn’t enter unless you were 19 years old. Then came the 90’s, in particular the late 90’s when the internet came to life with video. This is when everyone with an internet connection could view porn virtually anytime with their personal computer from the privacy of their own homes. When the cell phone became popular in the 2000’s, that made it possible to view porn anywhere in the world, at any time and without age restrictions. Pornography has become very accessible in most societies around the world, except for the middle eastern countries that have blocked it from their internet.
Once a child gets their own cell phone, it’s only a matter of time before curiosity takes over and they’re viewing porn for the first time. They can become addicted to watching it daily and their sexual habits can often be shaped by it. Most parents don’t have any clue that their child has started to watch porn because the child tends to hide it as they find it is a shameful thing. A good parent will monitor and control their children’s internet and cell phone usage to ‘try’ to prevent exposure from happening. It’s not right that children as young as 9-13 are exposed to porn. It has very negative effects on their lives when they are older in real relationships.
The negative effects on real relationships or marriages have been felt in many ways.
The divorce rate has been getting higher and higher and this has somewhat to do with porn usage that has become common in our society. Men tend to be the ones who view porn most of the time. This causes a lack of interest in his spouse as the porn actor satisfies all of his desires, while the spouse is left wondering what is wrong with her? Viewing porn has been compared to someone addicted to cocaine. It has the same effect on the nervous system and it is a high that satisfies only temporarily. Men who watch porn can become sexually warped and confused. What I mean by this is that men are exposed to women that are being humiliated, abused, or even raped on video, and they are taught to think that all women like to be treated like this. The Fifty Shades of Grey movies that came out added to this idea and has caused many women to be confused in their sexual desires. Since porn became popular, the traditional marriage bed has become very warped and perverted. Some feel there’s no such thing as “making love’ anymore! Also when you are married and you look at porn, you are lusting after someone else and that has a negative spiritual effect on your relationship as it is the same as adultery in the heart and adultery is not good!
I could go on and on over the negative ways porn has affected our society, but I am sure you get the point. If you are addicted to porn, then please understand that it is not having a good impact on your life. You need to realize that it is wrong and not normal. If you are married and stop using porn then I guarantee you will notice a big difference in your sexual relationship with your spouse and so will she!!! If you are not married and single, then you need to stop so that you become more interested in finding a real relationship. Most men that watch porn become lazy and not interested in putting in an effort to find a meaningful relationship or marriage. Lastly, but certainly not least, is the fact that porn is not good in God’s eyes. It is written in 1 John 2: 15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world or the things in the world then the love of the Father is not in them. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world and the lust of it is passing away; but whoever does the will of God shall abide forever.
Lust has been confused with love in our day and age. Porn is nothing but lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and it is toxic for our society. Please consider never viewing porn again for a much better life!
Emotions Make Great Friends, Not Great Rulers
Some time ago, I was ruled by anger and frustration that I held onto inside of me until my Mom’s last words before dying were “don’t be so frustrated darling”. It bothered me that I was frustrated even up to the time my Mother was about to die and those were her last words to me. It also woke me up to the fact that I was letting negative emotions control my life and that’s when I decided to do something about it. I realized quickly that my frustration was rooted in resentment and unforgiveness from ways I was treated in the past by others. I understood that I needed to let go of the resentments and forgive those things that happened to me in the past in order to have a better future.
Emotions like frustration and anger tell us something is wrong and in that way they make good friends, if we can listen. A good friend will tell you something is not right and help you make it better. I can say that since I dealt with these negative emotions ruling me, my life has improved greatly! I have more peace and happiness in my life and that is far better than anger and frustration.
If you’re ruled by anger and frustration and want to have peace and happiness then look back at the root of your resentment from the past, forgive it and let it go! It’s that easy my friend.
Heaven Can Seem Like Hell, But Hell Can Never Seem Like Heaven
If hearing the name of Jesus bothers you, then heaven would be like hell to you. If singing to God for all eternity would bother you, then heaven would be like hell to you. If hearing angels sing praises to God would bother you, then heaven would be like hell to you. If the idea of being a servant to God forever bothers you, then you know the rest…
But if you had only a few seconds to experience hell and all the torments that are there for all eternity, then you would realize that hell is no heaven and you would do anything in this life to avoid it!! In hell there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That is to say there will be those that will cry forever and those that will be angry forever. Both sadness and anger will not be in heaven, but they will be in hell. There is no light in hell either, but only darkness. Hell is no heaven my friend.
You can avoid hell as long as you repent or turn from your sinful ways. Cursing, swearing, taking God’s name in vain, having sex outside of marriage, watching porn, are just a few of the sins that will keep you out of heaven. You also need to believe that Jesus came here as a sinless example for how we are to live and that He was put to death, rose again and is coming back to judge the world. Repenting of your sinful ways because you are scared of going to hell won’t cut it. You have to repent of your sinful ways because you have offended God and you actually feel bad for offending God. We live in a world where not many people think of God or even believe in Him but that will all change soon.
Listen to this sermon from the 1700’s for a better idea of what it means to repent and hopefully avoid hell.
Suicide Is The Worst Option
If you are depressed or feeling hopeless considering ending your life then I am glad you found this post. I want to tell you that you are not alone feeling this way. Many years ago I was in a deep depression and felt like ending my life, but I didn’t, and that’s why I am able to write this post. I was able to find a wife and had three wonderful children. I found a rewarding career and made great friends for life. I traveled the world and learned about many cultures. All of which I couldn’t have done if I would have ended my life so long ago.
On the flip side, over the years I have been the recipient of the awful news that a friend took their life. It hurts so bad when you hear that someone you loved ended their life. The first thing you think about is why didn’t they say something, or why didn’t they reach out for help? These questions never go away.
Suicide is not a good option, it’s the worst! It leaves everyone around you wounded for life and more important it cuts off your wonderful life that is waiting to happen.
I care so deeply about this that I am putting myself out there as someone to talk with. So if you are interested in giving me a call to talk about your situation and how to get through it, then I am here for you. This is my home phone landline you can call anytime if you are thinking of ending your wonderful life 1-705-676-2221. My name is John and I am someone who cares. If for some reason I am not home with no answer and you want someone to connect with right away then please call this number 1-800-273-8255 for help.
THE PROSECUTOR WHO DEFENDED ME
Many years ago when I was young and foolish I was drinking heavily at a party. By the end of the night, or early in the morning, I decided to stagger home. I was passing a closed restaurant when I realized I was hungry and decided to break in to cook myself some food. So I made my way into the closed restaurant through the ventilation system on the roof. I ended up falling through the ceiling and landed right smack in front of the grill in the kitchen and thought to myself “this is convenient.” However, in my drunken stupor I quickly changed my mind about food and made my way to the bar. I grabbed the biggest bottle of booze and left by the back door and proceeded to stagger home. The next morning I was woken by two detectives who had some questions for me. I was very hungover and my head was pounding from drinking the night before. I knew what they were there for and I decided to admit everything and not lie. I was brought in to the station and questioned in which I fully cooperated by writing a confession, then they let me go with a court date. It was scheduled in a couple of weeks and I’ll never forget how worried I was about jail being a possible punishment. A couple weeks go by and I am in the waiting room outside the courtroom when a familiar face walks by and notices me. It was the Crown Prosecutor who was going to be the one to prosecute me for my crime. I remembered doing some landscaping for him when I was a student a few years prior. He asked me why I was there and I told him. He could see that I was very sorry and also worried about jail. So after a short talk he told me that he would defend me and see to it that I didn’t go to jail. When my case was called, I stood and the prosecutor began to defend my case. He asked the judge for mercy. The judge listened to him and I walked out of the courtroom free, feeling very thankful and relieved. Since that day I changed my ways and never thought of breaking the law ever again.
This was a true story that happened to me so long ago. It has a lot of similarities to the true story of all of us, as we will one day meet the ultimate judge in the great judgement that is to come. Jesus, who is the actual prosecutor on that day, will prosecute every crime or sin you have committed and the punishment is eternal. But you can become friends with Him by acknowledging Him and confessing your sins, then changing your ways to match His. Then the prosecutor will become your defender and the judge will grant you mercy and forgiveness so you can be made free with eternal life. Jesus paid for your punishment on the day he was crucified by being an acceptable sacrifice for your sins. All you have to do is acknowledge Him and become a new creation in Him so he can defend you. John 5:24 Jesus says Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Finally John 8:36 Jesus says Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Turn from your ways of sin and death and become a new creation before it’s too late. Start by repenting and seeking after Jesus by reading His word in the bible and He will be your defender instead of your prosecutor.
You Are What You Think
You have heard the statement before that you are what you eat. You don’t hear the statement that you are what you think very often.
We all have images of ourselves that are derived from many things around us including what we see in the movies, magazines and social media. We also get input from our own brains about what we are and I would like to talk about a positive way to help change how you think of yourself for a better life.
This post is mainly for those of you that have depression or feeling down and out with a negative self image. If this describes you then close your eyes and think of all the compliments and nice things people have said about you over the years. At first it may be difficult, but keep thinking of them and you will begin to smile and feel better about yourself. You may have been told that you are so kind, nice, caring, pretty or handsome. It’s different for everyone but you get the picture! Do this whenever you need a smile on your face and in your heart.
If you have no memories of other people saying such positive things about you over your life then imagine someone you love with all your heart, like your kids or spouse. That feeling of unconditional love that you would do anything for that person. Now try to imagine that God in heaven loves you many more times than that. So much more that you really can’t comprehend how big and vast His love is for you. This should put a smile in your heart and on your face.
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECT 