Last updated February 11, 2008

Hope for healing old traumas and issues

Most of the things that we need to do to make our lives more sane and healthy are really self-evident, and this subject is no different. The fact is, it is very difficult for us to make our lives better as long as we are still carrying around old traumas and emotional issues. These old issues sabotage us in so many ways that we aren't even aware of until we start clearing them out.

The question for most of us is, “Great – now how do we do that?” Many of us have been to counseling or therapy or read a dozen self-help books with the best of intentions, but still struggle with the same old issues. If you're like me, you've been inspired and excited by books like The Four Agreements or The Power of Now, and tried hard to apply them, and maybe had some results, and then found yourself back in nearly the same place only a few weeks later, still struggling. Or you've seen counselors who helped you define your issues, or listened to you talk about them, but never actually helped you get rid of them. (I don't think most counselors are properly equipped and trained to really help.)

Well, I have good news :) I have so far found three self-help methods that you can apply with minimal effort and minimal training that will clear away your old issues and traumas more effectively than you can now believe. They are EFT, the Work of Byron Katie, and the Sedona Method.

I have used EFT since around 2005, the Work since late 2007, and the Sedona Method since early 2008. They are amazing, profound, and, best of all, they work together beautifully. I will go into how to combine them in a later article.

For the moment, I want to simply assure you that there IS something you can do to permanently neutralize and release your traumatic memories, your deep-seated issues stemming from childhood, and the feelings of failure or self-hatred you may have. You can do it yourself, privately, for free, extremely quickly, and permanently. It sounds too good to be true, and I can tell you from personal experience that it feels too good to be true from the first 10 minutes on – that's how fast and effective they are.

Caveat: EFT does not work for everyone; a small percentage notices no effect. The Work and the Sedona Method, as far as I know, are 100%.

If you're ready to dive in, there are links to the relevant websites, which offer the basic “how to”s for free, on the right. I will go into some detail on each method on this site as well.

For now, as a demonstration of how effective and amazing these tools can be, here follows a brief account from someone who is trying EFT for the first time.

Amy's* EFT Journal

February 4, '08

I have been reading about EFT over the past few days. I decided to try it today, since my husband left for a business trip and I found myself alone with some time on my hands. It took me a while to decide what to try it on first. I wondered, should I go for something easy first, just to see how it works, or should I go for some big issue and see what kind of impact might occur?

Well, true to my nature, I went for the whole shebang. I focused on a lifelong issue I have been consciously aware of for quite some time, and have had some success dealing with, but was afraid I might never fully overcome.

I started with the first step, tapping on the side of my right hand, and saying the phrase out loud, “Even though I have this issue,” (I stated it specifically), “I deeply and completely accept myself.” The first time I said the phrase out loud while tapping, I thought, maybe I bit off more than I can chew. The tears came streaming down my face as I thought about the possibility that I could truly be free of this poisonous issue. I am convinced that it was absolutely poisoning the rest of my life, and all of the other issues I was thinking about addressing are probably secondary, side effects of the emotional poison I have been carrying around all my life.

Right now, I will finish writing this and continue with another round of EFT focused on that issue. The intensity of emotion is already subsiding a little. I can feel the healing beginning, and a little anxiety. The poison has been with me for so long, that the prospect of being free from it brings a little anxiety, only because I can’t picture what that will be like.

February 7, '08

I continue my daily EFT sessions. I noticed that it is difficult for me to quiet my mind enough to concentrate. I play meditative music, but I noticed that I still have to make a conscious effort to quiet my mind. It's like a hamster on a wheel, and it can't get off. Anyway, I have also noticed an unexpected side effect of this therapy. Although I have not given any conscious thought to drinking, because I don't feel that it is a problem for me, I have noticed that I no longer feel like drinking. I had never really paid too much attention to the emotion that preceded the opening of a bottle of wine, but now that it's not there, I am able to see it objectively for the first time. I am genuinely surprised to discover that the feeling seems to be a mixture of self pity, rebellion, and anxiety. It seems that the emotional healing that is obviously happening, is having this unforeseen effect on my personal life. I am free from a somewhat destructive, definitely expensive, vice.

I had an experience yesterday that illustrated how far I've come with my anger. (That is the root issue I am doing EFT on. I don't know why I didn't just say that to begin with.) I went to the DMV to replace my driver's license to reflect my new married name, and when I finally found a parking space in the overcrowded lot, there was a guy standing next to his truck, just sort of hanging out. Now, the old me would have honked impatiently, or at the very least, waited with building aggravation until he moved, and I probably would not have been very nice about parking when he did move.

Instead, I waited until he looked up, and the lightbulb went on for him that he was standing in the spot I wanted to park in, and I smiled at him. He quickly jumped out of the way, and when I got out, he apologized. I said, “Don't worry about it, I'm going to be in there all day anyway, no reason to hurry!” And we both smiled.

I feel like I'm turning a garbage dump into a garden. I'm clearing out all this old crap that has been polluting my spirit, and preparing for growth. EFT is the backhoe machine that I am using to remove the trash; The Secret is the seed for growth. I am already seeing how much easier it is to decide what I want out of life, and specific things are coming to the surface. I don't have to work at it!

I have to be honest, I was a little overwhelmed by the ideas presented in The Secret. I did not disagree with any of them, I just wondered how I was ever going to focus enough to decide what I really want and go for it. What I am learning now is, I did not need to worry. It seems that the seeds were already there, and now that the garbage is nearly cleared away, they are gaining strength on their own. My enthusiasm and optimism is growing every day. My lifelong depression is lifting in a way I never knew possible. This is real. And, so much better than medication.

Amy* will be continuing her journey of self-discovery, in EFT and other related areas, on sane-living.blogspot.com. Catch up there!

(*"Amy" is a pseudonym.)

Rev-hilary
By: Hilary