Does the trauma ever cause you to shut-down to the point of indifference and apathy, merely attempting to survive through the day only to repeat the next day? Are there hobbies or activities that you enjoy, things that pique your interest and curiosity, or is there no time, no energy, and no desire to even try? Yep, that’s me. Many times over and more days than I can count like that over the last decade. Because of trauma, people sometimes close themselves off for the sake of survival, in turn creating a situation where they do not experience the many sensory aspects of life.
For this exercise, I was supposed to write down things that are pleasant to me in terms of sight, smell, touch/texture, taste and sound, and then look through magazines for items that appeal to my senses. I cut out various food items such as gooey chocolate c
hip cookies with a crispy outsides and soft, tender insides, and rib eye steaks seared and seasoned to perfection with savory sides. I found pictures of furry kittens with massive eyes and little twitching ears, and long-haired dogs to imagine snuggling with and running through their long coats, smelling that all-too familiar dog smell and of course that not-so-pleasant dog-breath, something that somehow brought comfort in the known.
What I found through this exercise, that I had initially dreaded, was that there ARE things in life that I ENJOY. I started re-learning that I was my own individual person, not just a home-school mom of three little ones who has been beat-up through various instances of spiritual abuse. I’m not just a house-wife or a “help-meet”. I am an individual person with things that I enjoy and find pleasure in. The purpose is to take this book during a time of indifference or being overwhelm
ed, and reacquaint oneself with feeling, seeing, hearing, touch and taste. It reawakens the senses that have not had a variety of stimulation recently due to the depression or anxiety. One of my favorites in this book ended up being in a nice, warm bath. I could feel the warm water around me, touch and see the bubbles floating. I could hear birds chirping outside the small window, singing in my own little haven. I could smell the body wash as it gingerly filled the air, reminiscent of the flowers blooming outside. I had no idea how to get back in touch with the things I was missing and longing for until I was able to create a book, just for me, that had a plethora of the things that I enjoyed.
*For more art therapy ideas from Managing Traumatic Stress through Art, check out the full list of exercises from the blog post: “Managing Traumatic Stress Through Art.”
It does; & yes, that’s all i have right this moment!