How to Heal Emotional Wounds
How many times have you been hurt? Emotional injury is something you have to learn to recover from, but it’s incredibly difficult because the pain lingers, you suffer too much, and, sometimes, it stays with you forever.
Some emotional wounds are deeper than others. Some disappear without a trace, but others leave an unmistakable scar that never fully heals. Certain wounds never close… or at least that’s what we’ve believed until now.
Maybe you think your life would be so much better if you never suffered, if no one had ever harmed you.But what you don’t realize is that this is part of how you learn in life. It’s what transforms you, forcing you to grow as a person.
Learn to heal your wounds
All experiences, both positive and negative, will leave their mark. However, we tend to remember those life experiences that scarred us.
Today, we want to talk about how to heal emotional wounds in the best way possible so that you learn from them and transform them into experiences that teach you about yourself and your life.
Emotional wounds might feel worse than their physical counterparts, but they must be treated equally.
Refusing to look at it this way could cause you to ignore your pain, turning away from your wound and negative emotions until it becomes infected, never healing, causing you even more agony. That’s why we want to focus on the steps everyone has to take in order to heal emotional wounds:
1. Where’s your wound?
First of all, you need to know where you’re hurting and identify the source of your pain. Instead of looking the other way, explore deeply within yourself and seek help if you need it.
It’s possible that you won’t be able to identify the wound by yourself and you’ll need outside help. Don’t be afraid of feeling vulnerable and never be ashamed! Once you’ve identified the wound and understand where it came from, you can continue.
2. Discover how serious it is
Anytime you have a wound, it’s important to know how serious it is, if at all. Sometimes, it could be causing more pain than you even realize at first, and other times it might be largely in your mind.
Now that you know where it is, you can study it to find out what the correct course of treatment will be. But don’t ignore it. You have to tackle it head-on.
3. Time to heal
This is the most painful instant. Remember that stinging sensation you feel when you put rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on a deep cut? The same concept applies to healing emotional wounds as well.
You have to keep pushing forward no matter what happens because it’ll eventually lead you to a turning point, where you’ll be put to the test. Sometimes, what you need to do is open your eyes and face reality. Other times, you’ll be forced to find a solution to an unpleasant situation. Still, others may require you to cut your losses and walk away, while others make you mourn.
You should also read: Learn to Differentiate and Care for the 7 Types of Emotional Pain
4. Allow it to heal
Depending on the severity of your wound, it could take a long time to heal. You know, of course, that it isn’t going to happen overnight, so give yourself time.
The pain is normal; it’s going to be hard. But you must remember that life goes on and there’s a lot of good left in it. Don’t let pain and negativity cloud your sight. You can heal emotional wounds as you look toward the future and remember how to smile.
“For all the wounds of the soul, no matter how deep they may seem, time, the great solace, will heal them”
-Cristoph Martin Wieland-
Don’t be ashamed of your wounds because everyone has been hurt at some point in their lives. Problems arise when you ignore them, thinking that distraction and time are all it takes to heal yourself.
It’s true that distraction and time can help, nut only if you’ve identified and observed what caused your wound, and what will help it heal. Furthermore, it isn’t a matter of sealing it off and walking away, this healing process must allow each wound to slowly reach the point that it no longer hurts you.
Healing from emotional wounds is a learning opportunity that’s perhaps more important than anything else, as it teaches you that you can overcome the fear and pain they’ve caused.
Note: If you believe that you need help to manage your emotions and thoughts, we recommend consulting a psychologist.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Ricciardi, E., Rota, G., Sani, L., Gentili, C., Gaglianese, A., Guazzelli, M., & Pietrini, P. (2013). How the brain heals emotional wounds: the functional neuroanatomy of forgiveness. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 7, 839.
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Benner, D. G. (2016). Healing emotional wounds. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
