5 Signs You're Finally Getting Over An Old Life Wound, According To Experts
Don't stop doing the self work to heal old life wounds, there are some sure signs you are making progress to get over them.
Liza Summer, Julia pomodoro, andre Carlos from diversifylens | Canva Wounds heal in time. Yet, time alone does not heal all aspects of past trauma without some hard work and conscious effort.
As past trauma grows distant in time, emotional scar tissue can build up and repress the events and reasons surrounding an old wound. Though memory repression is a normal trauma response, it is not sustainable for longterm holistic health.
In order to stop the past's reactive influence on your life, you might choose to seek counseling, or the wisdom of a trusted friend who can lend an ear and give advice when needed.
After you do self-work to heal your past trauma, you might wonder how you will know if there have been any positive results. We asked our experts to help you recognize when you are finally getting over an old life wound.
5 Yourtango experts reveal the signs you're finally getting over an old life wound:
1. You are less reactive.
You may be getting over an old life wound when you are better able to recognize and slow the impact of triggers in the moment they occur. The triggers would normally have caused knee-jerk reactions or uncontrollable feelings, but when you are healing, the triggers become more manageable and are less reactive.
After years of facing these wound triggers, you have been able to unpack how they have impacted you by talking them through with a friend or therapist. You are coming out on top now that you are able to put words to your wound experience!
— Cyndera Quackenbush, Author/Educator
2. You can feel the change before you see the change
Getting over a deep wound is a journey often felt before it's seen. Here are some things you might be feeling.
Gentler days: Memories don’t dictate your mood; the past's grip loosens.
Authentic joy returns: You laugh without shadows.
Acceptance: The question isn’t "Why me?" but "What now?"
Greater empathy: Your pain becomes a bridge to understanding others.
Living in the now: The present feels more significant than the past.
Budding dreams: Forgotten aspirations reemerge.
Forgiveness flourishes: Not forgetting, but about freeing your heart.
Reconnecting: The courage to open up and be vulnerable returns.
In healing, setbacks may occur, but every new dawn is a reminder of our innate resilience and capacity to renew.
— Clare Waismann, M-RAS/ SUDCCII Founder of Waismann Method & Domus Retreat
3. You are building a sense of hope.
You know you are finally getting over an old wound when you are no longer consumed by it.
There is less of an emotional charge when the incident comes to mind, and perhaps it has stopped gnawing at you, and you begin to feel almost neutral about the whole thing.
Another sign is that you are open to trying something new or changing things up.
Lastly, you may start to feel more optimistic and see opportunities where you hadn't before. These three promising signs let you know your healing process has come far.
— Ronnie Ann Ryan, Intuitive Coach and Wise Woman
4. You are in control of your life again.
When you face the old life wound by working on what you are in control of by changing what you feel, think, say and do, you in regain control of your life, instead of the wound controlling you.
Asking yourself, "What do I need to do to finally get over an old life wound?" Asking yourself this hard question makes your mind start to search for how to work through the past and actually have an answer come to you.
You will become more present in the moment, and look forward to letting go of the past. You will recognize how you can't change the past, but you can change how you go forward.
— Mona Cooley, Family Coach Specialist
5. You're making better choices.
When you're getting over an old life wound and the familiar triggers don't create an emotional charge anymore, you can start making better choices for yourself surround yourself with healthy people, and find joy in your life.
If you have noticed you are making better choices and are surrounded by good people with your best interest in mind, then you are definitely getting over that old wound.
— Lesley Goth, PsyD
The journey to heal past trauma is a difficult one, and one you can't always do alone.
You might find yourself questioning if it was a good idea to start down the road of healing old wounds, yet you will see some signs of progress along the way. These signs confirm you are creating a better future and are feeling better at the moment.
You notice the little changes, you start to feel good, feel hope, feel a sense there is a future for you. This is how you know in your heart you have made the right choice to heal.
Be gentle with yourself, allow yourself patience, and keep looking for the signs because you are on the right path.
Will Curtis is an associate editor for Yourtango who thinks if he can be working on healing his past trauma, you can too!