When I speak to men who experienced abuse as children, I see a common pattern: even after the physical wounds heal, emotional wounds are still there.

Physical pain can be traumatizing, and it’s not the only kind of pain. Traumatic experiences can also scar us in invisible ways that affect us deeply. 

These invisible wounds might show up as:

• Turning to addictions, to help cope with the experience and our memories of it
• The nervous system holding that stress, and the memory of the event affecting how we react to certain triggers
• And many other ways…

How can you heal from an invisible, emotional wound? With a physical injury, it’s easy to track progress and see when it’s completely healed. But with emotional trauma, it’s more complicated.

I encourage you to allow yourself the time and space to heal. This isn’t a process that’s easy to do on your own, so reach out to a support group and/or a counselor who can have your back. 

Your emotional pain is real and damaging. You deserve healing from that invisible wound. 

You can also learn more about emotional trauma.

Join other individuals and couples on a journey to improved wholeness and wellness with Becoming Well’s recovery coaching courses and sessions.