Healing From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Part 3

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)  says “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

You and I have all been conformed and shaped by experiences, yet God urges us to not permit this to happen. Then it must be possible to undo it or He wouldn’t give the command. He gives us the answer “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  That is a tall order that requires some understanding and skills to accomplish.

So what happens when the dangers from trauma are gone and now you are in a safe environment? Now you carry a hidden wound with developed patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors from the experiences — and your mind has been conformed.

The traumas and toxic thoughts in your brain that you have not dealt with go from worry, to anxiety, to trauma and pop up from the unconscious mind, flooding your whole being. If you apply skills and tools when this rises you can embrace healthy ways of coping.

Your conscious thinking brain can recognize that your home and your safe but the unconscious with extreme speed can react to fireworks, a car backfiring, doors with the unknown behind them, or your wife’s frustration all perceived as threats.

Too many people bury all types of toxic thoughts and traumatic memories thinking that they are self protecting but like a steam kettle the pot will start to whistle and that which is trapped inside will find a method of escape.

Healing requires facing the memories and taking the necessary actions to overcome the symptoms and their results in your daily life.

I have spoken with people, whose presenting problems were in marriage issues, bonding problems, alcohol, porn and prostitutes that never realized that it was connected to what they saw in combat, as first responders in Hurricane Katrina, and as EMT workers that have experienced disturbing events, or in childhood abuse.

They didn’t realize the impact those buried memories have on today’s challenges. Yet they discovered that their reactions, relational challenges, and faulty coping skills were a byproduct of buried memories.

You can’t just hope the memories will go away or medicate them. You have to face them because if left unchallenged the symptoms arise and torment you.

1 Peter 1:13 (EVS) says, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

Your hope is in the choice to take action steps that help you move forward from a survivor to an overcomer, becoming stronger. Here is the revelation — the name of Jesus is greater than trauma; in Him is always hope.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” Colossians 3:2 (NIV).

Here’s the good news. The unconscious mind drives your conscious mind but your conscious mind can override the unconscious. God designed us to renew our minds.

I want to share a statement from Dr. Caroline Leaf who is a neuroscientist who says in regard to PTSD that when any trauma or toxic memory comes up from the past to the present, it enters the conscious mind and can then be re-designed, it’s malleable and open for suggestions to re-conceptualize the events in your memories.

She fully believes, and has proven that the mind can heal and change and that neural plasticity, which is brain changes, can be accomplished by renewing your mind.

You will still have memories of the past but now you can say you are in a new situation. The traumatic memory will no longer dominate and the pain will be minimized or removed from the memories.

You can learn tools and techniques to relieve stress, relax, and cope to minimize or overcome symptoms while doing the work to restructure, redesign, and re-conceptualize the memories from the past.

The answer is in the renewing of the mind literally,”casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV).

I personally believe in a God that can transcend our natural reality and help us overcome and not just cope with the things that we face that are painful and difficult and I’ve helped many people achieve this healing.

I encourage you to face the challenge and take action steps remembering that you are a triune being with a body, soul, and spirit. You can apply action steps to all three of these areas and seek healing to affect positive changes in your life.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV).

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