I’d say that’s a pretty typical response to having the life you know smacked around like a tennis ball. It’s not possible to experience this kind of turmoil without it taking a toll on our bodies, minds and spirits.
I can recognize three main areas of suffering in myself and I’ve observed similar in my students and clients. These three categories of suffering are alike in the way they show up but each also has its own characteristics:
- Trauma is the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds our ability to cope. Some common emotional symptoms of trauma include denial, anger, sadness and emotional outbursts. Some physical symptoms of trauma include anxiety, confusion, physical pain.
- Grief is our response to loss of someone or something we were attached to. Some emotional manifestations of grief include anxiety, anger, sadness. Some physical symptoms of grief include fatigue, physical pain and agitation.
- Pain is our body’s way of telling us that it’s overstimulated. Some emotional manifestations of pain include sadness, anger, impatience. Some physical symptoms of pain include fatigue, reduced mobility and loss of strength.
It can be difficult to differentiate one from another. The articles in this section will help you understand a bit more about each of these areas of suffering, recognize what’s true for you and, more importantly, help you on a path to feeling better.