Choon Yong-Trauma Part 2.

Author of Book: The Change Company.
Date Read: January 26, 2025

Book Report

Book Report #49: Trauma Part 2.
Begin: 12/13/2025
Finish: 1/26/2025
Title: Trauma Part 2
Author: The Change Company.

Why I choose to read this books:
This book was used in our Trauma Part 2 class. It teaches us trauma. PTSD and substance abuse, coping skills, using compassion to deal with PTSD, Grounding Techniques, Coping with Triggers, Self Nurturing and Boundary for Trauma. This information will help me manage trauma problems in the future.

What I learned from this book:
What is PTSD:
PTSD stands for “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” – A set of emotional problems that can occur after someone has experienced a terrible, stressful life event.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – After Trauma Anxiety Reaction.
There are two types of PTSD:
a) Simple PTSD is from a single incident (such as an accident or a tornado).
b) Complex PTSD – is from repeated incidents such as domestic violence or ongoing child abuse.
It is possible to heal from severe trauma. PTSD and substance are closely connected for many people.
The first stage of recovery from PTSD and substance abuse are:
a) Safe Coping – Free yourself from substance abuse, stay alive, build healthy relationship, learn to cope with problems, protect yourself and attain stability.
b) Mourning – After you are safe, Grieve and mourn about the past.
c) Reconnection – reconnect with the world, thriving, enjoying life, work and relate well to other.

Techniques to combat PTSD and Substance Abuse:
1) Compassion – Accepting and respecting yourself. It is a way to take back your power. View substance abuse with compassion, you try to eliminate all substance abuse because you will see that substances abuse will bring you misery and disfunction.

2) Grounding – Grounding is a way to turn your attention to the outside world, to shift away from the inner world of Negative feeling. You can detach and distance from emotional pain or like changing the channel of a television to get a different control. There are three type of grounding:
a) Mental Grounding – Think of anything that will create a safe distance between you and your negative feeling. Concentrate on anything other than the Negative feeling.
b) Physical Grounding – Concentrate on anything physical other than your Negative Feeling i.e. where you are, you are sitting down, touch the chair or look at any object.
c) Soothing Grounding – Think of your favorite things; colors, animal, songs, time of the day.
Ground techniques helps reduce the Negative Feelings and is a safe coping mechanism. Grounding takes practice it is similar to deep breathing.

3) Honesty – The foundation for all honesty is being true to yourself. Honesty with others first requires honesty with yourself. Owning your own needs, recognizing your feelings.

4) Discovery – is one of the most powerful tools in recovery. Discovery means finding out, learning from experience, adapting, curiosity, openness, moving forward and growth. Staying stuck is the opposite of Discovery it means assuming, avoiding, rigid thinking, hiding, living in the past, being closed to the world.

5) Coping with Triggers – A trigger is anything that sets off PTSD or substances abuse.
a) Stay away from Triggers – The safest plan is to stay away from Triggers when possible. Don’t watch upsetting shows, don’t go to bars, Avoid avoidable suffering by protecting yourself from Triggers ahead of time.
b) Never Test Yourself with Triggers – Never test yourself to see whether you can tolerate Triggers.
c) Triggers are part of life – But you can fight the good fight. You can avoid Triggers because it is impossible to live in a bubble. As you go through your day, you will be faced with Triggers at times, cope with it heroically when they occur. Fight them, resist them; do not give in to them.
d) Strive for Balance – To best fight Triggers, the goal is balance; being aware, conscious and in touch with reality so the Triggers will not control you.
e) Cope with Triggers Before, During and After they Occur – The best way is to cope before by preparing in advance, but you can cope well anytime in the process. Never give up.
f) Triggers can be Sudden – That’s what makes them so dangerous. They may appear when you least expect them.
g) Changing who, what, and where to cope with Triggers – You can get to safety by changing who, what and where, who you are with? What are you doing? Where are you? In short put as much space between you and the Trigger as possible create a safety zone by changing who, what and where?

6) Safe and Unsafe Self Nurturing:
Safe self nurturing means seeking fun and pleasure in healthy ways without excess. Unsafe self nurturing means seeking pleasure in an activity that causes you harm (legal, financial, social, personal or physical) and/or doing activity to excess.

7) Healthy Boundaries:
a) Flexible – let go of destructive relationship and connecting with nurturing relationship.
b) Safe – protect yourself against exploitation by others. You are able to read cues that someone is abusive or selfish.
c) Connect – Engage in balance relationship with others and maintain them over time. As conflict arises, you are able to work them out.

How will this book contribute to my success upon release:
The valuable knowledge of how to deal with PTSD, Trauma will help me work with others to maintain healthy relationship in the future. The knowledge acquired will help my analytical and critical thinking skills. This information will be shared with communities where I volunteer my teach, tutoring an mentoring services.