Being silenced can create trauma so deep, it becomes embedded in the very fabric of our being.
This common trauma may be experienced as:
-
Being told to be quiet / shut up as a child
-
Being forced to keep secrets, from small seemingly insignificant secrets to enormous soul-crushing secrets such as sexual abuse
-
Not being allowed to express your emotions or opinions
-
Being told you are wrong / bad / insignificant
-
Being forced to “toe the line” by family, church, school authorities, governments, and more
If you have experienced this trauma (and most of us have, to one degree or another) you may:
-
Have trouble speaking your truth
-
Question yourself or have a lack of trust in yourself
-
Experience a lack of confidence in your ideas and opinions
-
Defer to someone else to tell you what to think, how to act, what to do
-
Have unexplainable anger, rage, anxiety or depression
-
Get sore throat / respiratory illnesses often
-
Have thyroid issues (SO COMMON!)
-
Engage in negative speaking, criticizing, domineering speech and behavior, tendency towards over-reacting