#comparing traumas

So many people say that you shouldn’t compare traumas, and I was thinking about how this can be illustrated, and how sometimes people can view their pain, and I wanted to elaborate on my thoughts.

Look at trauma like how you physical wounds.

Sometimes, your trauma might be a broken leg. You might need to encase it for some time before being able to talk about it, or a gaping wound. You need to let it be first in order to heal. Only then you’ll be able to touch that spot without as much pain.

Sometimes trauma is a tumor. It’s something you can’t wait to remove, something you can’t wait to spill out to a therapist, because if you don’t, it could kill you.

Now onto comparisons: Every trauma is different, like every wound. You don’t treat a broken leg the same way you treat a tumor. Therefore, the prescription for each trauma can vary. 

Even if the pain might objectively be looked at as worse for some people than others, it’s all pain and it all needs to be dealt with, no matter what way.

If you need a cast, you need a cast. If you need a tumor removed, you need it removed. Different perceptions will breed different traumas. Not really better or worse, but just different. Because, can you really put a grade on pain?

Let’s stop thinking in terms of, “Oh this person has it worse than me” Or, “This person has it better than me” And start thinking in terms of, “I’m in pain. What can I do that can help me relieve the pain the best way that I can”