Introspection is often a shocking experience, especially when you're a trauma survivor. It's so easy to lose that connection to one's inner world (as one of my recent writing clients describes it), and the process often happens without us even realizing we're losing the bond with ourselves. Deep self-reflection feels like encountering death for the first time, sometimes, and that's okay! Shock can be processed, pain can be processed, grief, anger, sorrow, etc...but what can't be processed is a blank space. You're so right about the need to break silences and identify those spaces in a way that allows us to engage with them.

This was a wonderful article -- thank you for writing it. I hope you continue to share your insights and wisdom!