How do I move forward with an unprocessed trauma memory?

I have great questions that come to me from individuals seeking freedom from traumatic memories and flashbacks. They tend to have trouble moving forward due to unprocessed traumatic memory or flashbacks. The aforementioned is a question and an answer that needs to be shared, so here is my opinion. I hope it is helpful to all of the individuals who have asked this question.

“If the focus of healing is on old unprocessed memories or destructive behavior patterns, then more than likely an individual will remain stuck in the past at the expense of the present. It is my belief that the real problem is the negative core beliefs that are attached to the memories. The core beliefs are being triggered at the same time as the unprocessed memories surface. As long as negative core beliefs are allowed to remain embedded in the subconscious, the individual will continue to be stuck in past images and repeat the same behavior patterns as well as display the same emotional reactions. What a person believes about self is based on the content of the accumulated core beliefs which trap him or her in the past at the cost of their present life. When a current event occurs and something from the event triggers a past core belief, the core belief then surfaces and causes a thought, emotion or behavior.

In over two decades of directly working with abuse and trauma survivors, I witnessed survivors attempting to process past trauma with no avail. Without any new skills, they continued to be triggered and stuck repeating the same things over and over again.

Research has demonstrated that it is impossible to change recollections, erase them or achieve amnesia from unprocessed memories that have been already recorded. There is a different way. The new focus of my life coaching program helps an individual to discover his or her old negative core beliefs that have formed and that are directly affecting their thinking, emotions and behavior. Life coaching is about learning new skills to assist an individual to identify his or her hidden negative core beliefs, and shift the core beliefs which unblocks them from being barriers. The action of shifting negative core beliefs and installing new ones dramatically cut off the triggers that make the negative core beliefs surface and thus the emotional reactions and behaviors will stop. Creating a new belief system is possible. It is concentrated work, but the results are extremely positive.”

Thought Addiction

The importance of the concept of having an addiction to a thought has been increasing. Simply, thought addiction is when a thought or set of thoughts get stuck in your head and those thoughts begin to create a loop. As the thoughts loop, the person becomes more and more focused on them and less able to defocus from them. As the power of the thoughts increase, the person feels as though he or she has lost control. Once out of control, the thought ends up consuming his or her energy and depletes the ability to perform successfully. At that point the thought takes over his or her mental life and becomes addicting. Once a thought is no longer controllable the person acts out in different ways to turn it off. Some people use methods such as medicating it, fighting it or use a substance to avoid it. Many people with this condition state “I can’t get this thought out of my head and it is driving me crazy”. What is so important to take away from the concept of addiction to a thought is not a mental disorder or a lack of self control problem. Thought addiction is a skill deficiency.

Generally these types of thoughts are core beliefs from his or her past or negative statements expressed from someone else. They are triggered by a present event and mentally surface unconsciously into the mind. The most common example of this type of thought is “I am not good enough”. Cognitive therapists have long know and proven that a thought precedes an emotion and a behavior. But what is also true is that “every addiction begins and ends with a thought”. A few forms of thoughts which can result in chronic looping are:

·        body image thoughts

·        depressive thoughts

·         doubt

·         fear

·         worry

·         negative thoughts

·         obsessive thoughts

·         lack of worth thoughts

·        superstitious thoughts

·         suicidal ideation

·         weight thoughts

So it is important to understand that the way to stop an addiction to a thought or unceasing looping is through gaining and practicing mental skills. We have the power to command and reset or thoughts. We just need to acquire the proper skills and have a willingness to consistently practice the skills to effect positive change.

 Need Dr Bill’s Coaching Help?

I help people work on life challenges such as personal growth, emotional wellbeing, addiction recovery and relationships. Write to him and describe your situation: TollefsonEnterprises@gmail.com

Dr Bill Tollefson is a certified master life and holistic addiction recovery coach, speaker, radio personality and author and author of Separated From the Light. Visit him at drbilltollefson.com

Other Articles on Subject:

http://drbilltollefson.hubpages.com/hub/unhealthythoughts

http://drbilltollefson.hubpages.com/hub/Addiction_Begins_with_a_Thought

http://drbilltollefson.hubpages.com/hub/Unblocking_Addictive_Thought_Patterns

Thought Addiction

“Addictions come in all kinds of different forms, but all start with a thought”

What is a thought addiction?

Thought addiction is real. It can consume and devastate someone’s life. Can there be an addiction to a thought? By definition yes it can. The definition of thought addiction is the development of a habitual pattern to one thought or set of thoughts. Thought addiction is the returning to a thought that does not serve the individual and has damaging results that depletes every system of the body. An addiction to a thought produces a rapid and intense change in mood and causes a painful withdrawal when there is an attempt to stop.

To learn more about thought addiction by cut and pasting these two links:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Addiction_Begins_with_a_Thought

http://hubpages.com/hub/Unblocking_Addictive_Thought_Patterns