29 May Emotional injury: causes, symptoms and methods of healing
Emotional wounds are the consequence of painful experiences in the past. Being a victim of physical or psychological abuse, losing a loved one, but also finding yourself trapped in toxic relationships. Childhood is a particularly sensitive period. Children don’t yet have a shell to protect themselves, and often find themselves confronted with situations they can’t handle emotionally. Traumatic situations give rise to and develop the limiting beliefs that will shape our personality and guide our life choices. Symptoms are obviously psychological, but can also be physical when somatization occurs. Malaise,
generalized anxiety
,
lack of self-confidence
self-sabotage, phobias,
attachment disorders
emotional dependence…
Fortunately, we can heal our wounds by deciding to get help. Awareness and recognition of wounds is the first step. L’
hypnotherapy
is effective, as is
EMDR
to heal past traumas.
Emotional injury: definition
Emotional wounding is another way of talking about a trauma experienced in our youth. It’s a wound that hasn’t healed, even if we don’t remember being hurt or minimize the impact of inappropriate behavior. Amnesia and/or denial mask our past wounds for a while, but the unconscious always finds a way to express what is not digested in our reactions and behaviors.
What are the 5 emotional wounds?
In the 80s, Canadian psychologist Lise Bourbeau first identified the 5 wounds that prevent us from being ourselves in a book that has sold millions of copies. She herself drew on the research of American psychiatrist John Pierrakos to develop her theory. Each wound has its own mask, i.e. a fireproof behavior that acts as a protector. Wounds are passed down through the generations until they are recognized and healed.
The 5 injuries are :
Rejection
It’s the most profound because it comes first at the moment of our creation. What context do we find ourselves in? Am I wanted? Expected? The fruit of a love affair between two people? Or on the contrary, I arrive at the wrong time, of the wrong sex, the result of a stranger or marital rape. How can I take my place in this world when it’s not given to me from the start? The person who suffers from this
rejection wound
will feel perpetually illegitimate, experience impostor syndrome, seek to fit in and find meaning in their existence. Hypersensitivity is also a singularity of this wound. The mask of rejection is flight.
Abandonment
Very similar to rejection in its symptoms, the
abandonment wound
often leads to a constant need for recognition. It is also born very early, sometimes from birth. A separation from my mother, the bond that doesn’t form or takes a long time to form, and then all the moments when I feel alone because my needs aren’t being met in a way that makes me feel safe. Abandonment may or may not be a reality, but experience and the perception of experience develop the feeling of abandonment and the resulting beliefs. The mask of abandonment is dependence.
The betrayal
Later, in the course of my experiences, I’m going to break up with friends and lovers, and I’m going to feel this as a betrayal. It’s also often the beliefs inherited from parents and ancestors that lead me to relive this wound, so that I can become aware of it and free myself from it. The mask of betrayal is control.
Injustice
All the wounds of the past carry with them a sense of injustice. But when it’s our main wound, it’s born of a context that repeats itself in a transgenerational pattern. It’s rooted in siblings, with comparisons made from above or below, for example, bearing a responsibility that isn’t mine. Being punished instead of others. Experiencing lack in comparison with others is a source of injustice. The mask of injustice is rigidity.
Humiliation
When I’m constantly criticized for my looks or my intellectual abilities, when I feel I’m never good enough, when I’m the family’s “ugly duckling”, I become the group’s scapegoat. I can experience it at home with a brother or sister, with abusive parents, but this wound can develop later at school when I’m harassed because I’m different. The mask of humiliation is sado masochism.
How can you recognize the symptoms of psychological injury?
Hypersensitivity is often a sign of existential wounds. A
depressive state
existential malaise, generalized anxiety, as well as compensatory behaviors such as
eating disorders
. Repetitive patterns in toxic relationships. Self-deprecation or self-sabotage. When we have trouble finding inner peace and bouncing back when life throws us a curve ball, we may think that we have certain emotional wounds that we need to heal.
What causes inner wounds?
The causes are diverse. Whether isolated traumas or the repetition of daily childhood traumas such as abuse, children can find themselves in a state of permanent insecurity. The hyper-vigilance he develops is an obstacle to personal fulfillment and positive ego-building. An environment made up of large and small people can represent a permanent threat to the child. Siblings and the school environment, for example, are often sources of injury. Education obviously also with a framework that does not sufficiently respect the needs of the person we are. The way our needs were met as children.
How can hypnosis heal the past?
Hypnosis is one of the most effective methods for healing wounds from the past, as it uses a modified state of consciousness to reconnect with the little one in us who has experienced rejection, abandonment or humiliation. Buried memories can come to the surface during sessions, and in a safe environment, it’s possible to
heal the inner child
In a safe environment, it’s possible to heal the inner child, to give it the listening and attention it hasn’t received in the past. Direct access to the unconscious enables this healing to take place more rapidly. Several methods can be used
humanistic hypnosis
, l’
Ericksonian hypnosis
or EMDR. A hypnosis session can be organized in the office or in the form of an
online hypnosis consultation
.
Make an appointment with Laurence DELINOT