war – COURAGE COACHING

The aftermath of a traumatic incident

As much as I dislike watching the news and tend to limit what I take in, it is increasingly difficult to not be affected by the constant bombardment of war footage, terrorist attacks, murder and suffering.

When you are a highly sensitive & empathetic person, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sadness of others. I am very much aware of the cruel injustice in our world and it hurts me deeply to see so many suffering. It is even tougher when this is repeated in your own country. Due to the fact that I know what it feels like to have your life threatened, I decided to make the following video on the aftermath of trauma. This is my small contribution towards all those affected.

Despite my traumatic childhood, I was also once caught up in armed robbery, where a gunshot went off right next to me and a woman was lying on the floor with blood on her leg. The disbelief of what I had witnessed was indescribable. The terror I felt shook me to the core. I couldn’t comprehend how someone could shoot a gun, when everyone at the cashier was cooperating and the robbers had managed to get their money.

This armed robbery happened at a time where I was very vulnerable already as my CPTSD was really bad. All I could think of after this robbery was ‘not again, not another trauma to add to my list’. Life felt so unfair and scary on that day and my mind was telling me that there was more damage done and that I would not recover this time.

If it wasn’t for my kind therapist at the time, to ground me and tell me that I wasn’t going to let this swallow me, I don’t know how I would have coped in the long term.

So this video is for those of you who are new to trauma. It is helpful in understanding yourself after a traumatic experience and it gives you the tools you need to ride the emotional waves that may at times feel like they are taking over.

Although I am not a qualified psychotherapist, I do have a lot of insight into trauma through my own journey and I know the many things that helped me, as well as others. If you are someone who is in deep distress, then please call a qualified mental health professional.

Thank you so much for reading & watching! ♥

Please share this post if you think it will help others.

Check out my patreon page below, if you would like to support the creation of more videos, documents and fact sheets.

https://www.patreon.com/AthinaEhlen

Love Athina ♥

Be there for someone

fontcandy

Today is International World Peace Day. This highlights the destruction that war is currently causing all around the world even more and I feel deeply saddened that things are the way they are. Humans will never learn from their mistakes and greed & power seem to always take the forefront unfortunately.

So what can we do in this ever changing world of destruction, mass murder & grief?

We can’t seem to stop the war & voilence, as world leaders always have the last say in what happens..We can’t always prevent bad things from happening but we can make a small difference by being kind to others. We can help someone in need & offer them some comfort.

Sometimes people don’t want to or can’t ask for help. They may feel too embarassed, too isolated, too scared. They might be so traumatised that they can’t even speak. They might have learnt the hard way that you can’t trust anyone because they have always been let down.

I have been in a position of vulnerability many times in my life. I used to be someone who was too afraid to trust others. I used to be someone who was too afraid to ask for support. I thought I was a burden because I was made to believe that I was.

How many of you give money to a beggar on the street? How many of you help the homeless? How many of you contribute to bettering the world in some small way by maybe helping the refugees or protecting familes from domestic violence?

I’d love to hear your experiences.

I personally, don’t always give money to the homeless or to beggars. Here in Europe, I know that there are a lot of people who are made to beg for money but don’t get to keep it. Their gang leader keeps it.What I try and do instead is give people items that provide some comfort. A scarf, some food, a hot drink etc..

I also aspire to work in areas where I support others. I am currently looking after a little boy who has a single mother. My heart goes out to them both.I only found out recently that the mother is being emotionally abused by the father of the boy, who is telling her he will turn up on their doorstep after 2 years of ignoring the child. He lies to her and makes threats. I have promised to support her if she needs me. She has asked me to entertain the wee boy at the moment, in case things get akward. This little boy doesn’t even remember his Dad. He has only just turned 4 and it is a delicate matter.

Helping out this small family is my way of giving back to the world and supporting others. I want to care for others, as I know what it feels like to not be cared for. Nobody should feel that way.Nobody should have to feel scared and alone.

Love Athina ♥

Courage

Today’s post will be short and sweet as unfortunately my internet is playing up and keeps having long disconnection periods. I have barely been able to post anything today due to this, so my apologies if this blog post is a little short. I think short and sweet, will be the theme of this day! 🙂

I wanted to write a little bit about why I chose Courage as the name of my Coaching business.

FontCandy (76)

First of all, courage is very important when challenging ourselves at times where we need to make big changes in our personal life, our work or our health.

Courage is necessary when we deal with grief, physical & emotional pain or overwhelming fear.

As survivors of abuse would agree, courage is crucial for getting through the trauma and emotional pain that starts with the abuse, continues throughout the abuse and then unfortunately becomes a part of the long journey of recovery after the abuse.

For those affected by war & overwhelming grief, courage is what keeps them going every day, when all they want is to stop feeling so frightened & devastated.

Courage is important for survival, for better quality of life, for the ability to self-reflect and for getting through adversity.

Below are some definitions that I found online when I was deciding on COURAGE as a name for my business.

Courage is:

The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.
Strength in the face of pain or grief
The choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation.
The power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc..
Courage, also called fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. It can be divided into “physical courage” — in face of physical pain, hardship, and threat of death — and “moral courage” — in the face of shame, scandal, and discouragement..
The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

I also selected a few of the most inspiring quotes about courage, in my opinion.

”You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along”.

Eleanor Roosevelt

”I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”.

Nelson Mandela

”Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy”.

Dale Carnegie

”You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor”.

Aristotle

What is it about courage that inspires you the most?

Love Athina ♥