Recovering from Trauma

There is a widespread misperception that doctors and medical experts “cure” wounds, from psychological trauma to broken bones. In fact, the body heals its own wounds. In the case of a broken bone, for example, doctors set the bone to allow for proper healing and prescribe rest and sometimes antibiotics to remove impediments to healing. But the actual healing is done by the body.

The same is true of psychological trauma. Sometimes there is the equivalent of bleeding, in the form of ongoing violence, for example, that needs to be stopped before healing can take place. Sometimes there are systemic impediments to healing, like the helplessness caused by poverty, which need to be ameliorated. In such cases, the intervention of experts, such as social work professionals, may be helpful or even indispensable. Ultimately, however, the help that is needed to overcome trauma is the kind of support that allows wounded minds and spirits to heal themselves. The best source of that kind of care is a safe and supportive environment for people who are suffering.