Healing Isn’t Linear

The world can be a turbulent place. From the moment we are born, we are navigating different and diverse relationships; not just with people but also environments. During these interactions, humans may sometimes experience traumatic events or develop maladaptive behaviors and thinking styles. These have an impact on wellbeing; physical and mental. However, once developed it does not mean that you cannot overcome these maladaptive patterns. Healing is a process that helps you do just that- point out all the behaviors and thinking patterns that are not beneficial for you and help overcome them. How does one do that- heal?

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There is no one particular way. Healing can look different for everyone- in the way that one discovers they need to heal and in the manners they heal as well. One thing that remains common for all, however, is that healing is not linear. There are ups and downs; one day you will feel good but the other day you may find yourself falling back into destructive behaviors. During such times, it is important to remember that this too is part of the process. Without fallbacks and failures there can’t be healing. Because if you do not fall back into old, destructive behaviors how will you know the difference between them and the non-destructive behaviors.

Moreover, when unlearning behaviors, it simply cannot be an overnight process. You have learnt these maladaptive behaviors over many years. So it is no surprise that it will take you a while before you can unlearn these patterns. It is also important to replace unhealthy behaviors with healthy behaviors; to fill up the vacuum. Otherwise, you will be tempted to fall back into old patterns. Lastly, despite how glorified healing has become in the digital age, it is not. It is not glitters and sparkles, it is hard work!