It can be difficult to prioritize safety in a hustle culture that is always pushing for growth. When it comes to healing, safety should be thought of as a necessary prerequisite. Growth or healing is usually difficult, fragile, and less sustainable when the nervous system feels unsafe. Taking time to first increase safety will make long-lasting change possible in less time.
Safety should take priority over growth when the system is:
- overwhelmed
- destabilized
- exhausted
- struggling to function
Specifically, if you are experiencing any of the following, focusing on safety should be the priority, not growth:
- severe dissociation
- shutdown
- self-harm urges
- suicidal thoughts
- frequent crisis states
- inability to care for yourself
- major loss of functioning
In dissociative systems, it can also help to check inside for parts who are very afraid, overwhelmed, or unable to cope, even if the rest of the system feels ready for growth. Addressing those fears may need to become the first step toward further healing.
This page is part of the Why Slowing Down Can Help Trauma Healing Move Forward section of the CommuniDID site, which explains how respecting limits, pacing emotional work, and reducing demand can protect long-term healing capacity.
Explore more:
- Questions about Stabilizing and Slowing Down to Heal Trauma
- Increasing predictability can help reduce strain on a dissociative system. You can explore simple ways to build predictability here: Creating Predictability for Your Dissociative System.
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