Self-Love & Self-Care: The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Antidote by Arielle Spring

For your PTSD and trauma stories, I hope you consider featuring Life Coach and Author Arielle Spring, who published her vulnerable memoir titled “When Birds Sing: My Journey from Trauma to Triumph” by Arielle Spring this year. Arielle shares her personal story of PTSD and her healing and thriving from trauma. In her book, she gives hope to conquer despair and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, along with how to move beyond being a victim of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Arielle provides her coaching to PTSD victims below and her tips for self-care and self-love.

The reason people who have experienced trauma do self-care is because it counteracts the debilitating effects of PTSD, Arielle believes. “Trauma induced PTSD hides your self-love; however, it is not gone,” she adds. “You can find your self-love once again. Self-love generates self-care.”

Arielle recounts as her life hurled down the track like a run-away train, she did not grasp or understand how self-care would have benefited her. PTSD will often tell you that you don’t need to help yourself because you are ‘fine’. “I became oblivious to the fact that I was becoming increasingly dependent on others emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically,” Arielle continues. “I looked to others for the strength that was beginning to be buried within me.”

When Arielle moved from my idyllic hometown to a huge metropolis with her abuser, she looked at the move as an opportunity to begin again. “He was telling me that he would never abuse me again. So, I believed his untruth and hit the city with a renewed strength and determination,” she recalls. “Even though I was experiencing severe abuse, I had enough self-love available to propel me to begin doing a few acts of self-care. These acts of self-care quietly strengthened me.”

The self-care began to build upon itself which fostered Arielle’s esteem and confidence. She began to be able to feel her strength as she got her own divorce, laid out a safety plan which included securing housing.

However, the ultimate self-care act happened the morning she called her abuser and announced she wouldn’t be home when he got there – she was leaving. “As I hung up the phone, I stood tall in the strength I had gained through these self-care acts,” she explains. “Some of the self-care I did during that time was: roller skating, eating healthy, washing my clothes in a tiny sink as there were no laundry facilities, showering and washing my hair, and dressing as nice as I could on my limited budget.”

Self-care does not have to involve a gym membership, expensive exercise classes, designer exercise attire or a personal trainer. “You can do self-care acts of love wherever and however you have the means to do them,” she advises.

Arielle’s Coaching to those Suffering from PTSD

You are achieving what many have not, which is the willingness to look at your life situation as if you are outside of yourself. This is called having awareness or becoming conscious. Once you started to practice this awareness you were able to begin to uncover your love for yourself – piece by piece. This new ability to experience loving yourself developed into you doing acts of self-care.

I’m imagining that making that call was probably one of the most difficult and scariest things you have ever done in your life, and you did it. YOU saved your life. You dug deep within yourself to find your love of self which drove you to do the ultimate self-care act – leaving.

Here are additional self-care acts Arielle recommends implementing into your life as well.

• Getting a best friend or ‘soul sister’ to confide in as you find your way in your new life
• Getting a therapist will be essential to work through the trauma and PTSD triggers
• Seeking out a PTSD support group especially for domestic violence survivors
• Gentle body movement that will allow you to let the pain out of your body (the body stores pain)
• Continue working at a job (or finding a new job) that reaffirms your newfound confidence and esteem

“Today, as I continue discovering my true self, my self-love deepens which fills my life with creative acts of self-care,” Arielle states. “I find this process a never-ending upward spiral which brings love, connection, peace, joy, happiness, fulfillment, awareness, and kindness - a life beyond my wildest dreams.”