I am struggling now. The sadness I buried deep within me as a child surfaced. At times, it feels overwhelming. Those overwhelming times usually happen in the morning, which is always the hardest time for me. I know that continuing with my morning mental health routine is particularly important during times of deep healing when painful emotions arise.
I am also sad because on Monday my 17-year-old cat, Lucy, who I have had since she was two weeks old, had to be put down. She was a part of my life for so long that it is hard to imagine life without her. The picture is of her at Christmas time.
I previously discussed my morning mental health routine. I share with you today what I reach for when I feel overwhelmed and when the healing is so deep that it feels like alcohol poured on an infected wound. Here are the books, videos, and apps that help me now.
Books
1. Mindfulness For Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment–And Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
I read this book two years ago, during the summer of 2020. I started re-reading it yesterday. As I slowly read through the introduction, it occurred to me that the focus of Christian mindfulness is to be mindful of God’s presence. Although this book is about mindfulness in general and not about Christian mindfulness, it is an excellent introduction to a practice that is proven to help childhood trauma survivors.
The following quotes are from the introduction:
“The transformative potential of meditation in general and in mindfulness, in particular, lies in engaging in ongoing practice.”
“The very intention to practice with consistency and gentleness–whether you feel like it or not on any given day–is a powerful healing discipline.”
2. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace In His Presence by Sarah Young
This book is a devotional written as messages from God. It is Bible-based and can serve as a daily reminder that you are loved dearly by God. I started reading this devotional every morning in April 2021. I read it before doing Bible study and pick one sentence that stands out to me to write down in my journal.
The following quotes are from today’s entry:
“Worship Me in spirit and in truth, allowing My glory to permeate your entire being.”
“I am sovereign over every aspect of your life.”
3. I Thought It Was Just Me: Making the Journey From What Will People Think to I am Enough by Brene Brown
This is a book about overcoming shame. I started reading it late last fall. Two weeks ago, I picked it up again. It is exactly what I need to read now. As a child sexual abuse survivor, shame is something that permeated my being. It is time for it to go and this book is helping me get rid of toxic shame.
Here are a few quotes that stood out to me:
“If we want to successfully deal with the shame in our lives, we have to understand why we feel it and how it affects our lives, including the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings we deal with every day.”
“We need to be able to identify and communicate what we are feeling and why we are feeling it.”
“We can’t consciously make the decision to change our behavior until we are aware of what we are thinking and why we are thinking it.”
YouTube Videos
I discovered tapping videos on YouTube by Brad Yates. Here are two that are helping me now:
Trauma and Abuse
Feeling Sad
Apps
There are two apps I love using: The Tapping Solution and SoulSpace. I highly recommend them to anyone who is healing from childhood trauma.
My prayer is that today’s newsletter will provide you with something that can help you cope as you heal from childhood trauma. If you need prayer, drop a comment. I will add you to my prayer list.