One reason trauma symptoms can seem to increase during healing involves awareness. What we focus on, we become more aware of. As therapy or healing work progresses, you may begin noticing experiences and symptoms that were already occurring but previously remained outside your awareness. Because you were not aware of them before, it can seem as though they are suddenly increasing.
Another reason involves changes in dissociative defenses. As healing progresses, some dissociative barriers may begin to weaken. This can allow greater awareness of system members, memories, emotions, or internal experiences that were previously kept separate.
This increased awareness can feel like things are getting worse. In many cases, however, it reflects the system becoming more connected to experiences that were already present rather than the development of new symptoms.
This page is part of the Understanding the Trauma Healing Process section of the CommuniDID site, which explains why recovery can feel slow, confusing, or discouraging and why experiences like grief, exhaustion, and resistance are common during the healing process.
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