“Time heals all wounds.”
Surely, you’ve heard about this old saying — whether you believe it or not.
Grief and trauma are always difficult to grapple with, whether it's from a lost loved one or a traumatic event. It’s messy, and it can look different for each person. There’s no single way to deal with trauma and pain. But we are often led to believe that time will dull the pain or end it.
But is it completely true that time heals all wounds? Or is just complete and utter hogwash?
How Wounds Heal
Emotional wounds are no doubt different from physical wounds.
Recovery from physical trauma can help us understand emotional pain. Whether you have a physical or emotional wound, you will face the challenge of dealing with it and living. Trauma cannot be overcome without the proper resources and, unfortunately, without active participation.
“Unfortunately”? What’s unfortunate about that?
When people are in painful situations and grief, moving forward can seem impossible.
So while active participation in healing is essential, it’s easier said than done.
Does Time Truly Heal All Wounds?
Sort of.
As it turns out, things may not be as simple as “time heals all wounds”.
Time certainly creates the opportunity for healing. But time alone will not heal emotional wounds any more than it might heal physical ones.
In fact, “time heals all wounds” may even be an oversimplification of the healing process. If you suffer from emotional trauma, you can’t just “think positive.” You also can't “wait” your way out of that spiral of negative emotions.
That minimizes the impact of loss. It also underestimates the massive effort required to cope with traumatic experiences.
Do you think time is some magical potion that will heal your wounds if you wait long enough and push through your pain? Then you’re farther away from healing than you think. It’s not completely false that “time heals all wounds”, but it’s incomplete.
What time does is distance you from the traumatic event.
What you do with that distance and how you use it to heal is where the real gift of time lies.
How to Heal Your Wounds
So how do people recover from a physical injury?
It goes like this:
Acknowledge your wound.
Learn how to care for the wound and encourage proper healing.
Undergo physical therapy to regain strength and function.
Establish a solid support system.
And that’s the same process when it comes to healing emotional pain.
First, you must acknowledge the hurt. Denial is a huge barrier to healing, so you must identify and address the trauma and grief you’re facing.
Find valuable resources that’ll help you work through your grief and trauma. It could be a counselor, a therapist, or a psychiatrist. You can trust any qualified mental health professional that can help heal your pain.
You could also seek out support groups and people who have been through the same things you have. That gives you access to tips on healing straight from the horse’s mouth.
And here’s where time comes into the picture. Going through therapy takes time and active participation. You must be patient and committed to the healing process. It won’t be easy or quick. You might feel lost at times. Expect setbacks and frustration, but don’t give in to them.
Lastly, you need to surround yourself with people who will support you. Reaching out to your friends and family might not be easy, but know that these people love and care for you.
Tips on Healing
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting the wounds that were inflicted upon you.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it needs to be said. You can never erase what happened to you or live on as if nothing happened. That’s not healing — that’s just ignoring reality.
Rather healing isn’t passively waiting but actively working with your pain. It involves learning to cope healthily with the effects of grief and trauma. It requires commitment, patience, and hard work. You must also trust in the possibility of reconciliation or forgiveness. That is whether you receive an apology or not.
Here are some things you can do:
Honor your emotions.
Reach out for help and support.
Confide in a loved one.
Spend time with friends and family.
Journal.
Meditate.
Exercise and improve your physical well-being.
Pursue creative outlets to channel your emotions.
Practice gratitude.
Consult a therapist.
Time heals nothing. It all depends on what you do with your time to determine if you could achieve healing from your emotional pain.
Let the Healing Begin
Healing is hard.
It’s messy. It’s confusing. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s scary. And most importantly, it takes time. Will time heal your wound? Probably not.
But don’t leave your healing up to Father Time. Time passes, but it’s you who’ll have to do the moving forward. If you don’t actively try to move forward from your pain and cope with your emotions, then time will leave you behind. Time isn’t a magic pill. It doesn’t do the healing; you are the one who must work and put in the effort on your healing journey.
So if you’re struggling with trauma, don’t try to placate it by saying, “It’ll get better in time.”
You can never wait and will your grief and hurt away.
Instead, find support and set realistic expectations. You might mourn the person you were or the life you had before the grief and trauma happened. But you must accept your life has changed. With support and persistence, you can adapt to this new reality.
Time does not heal your wound. It teaches you to live with it, learn to carry your hurt with grace and find meaning after a traumatic event.
You’ve got a long and difficult road ahead of you. Remember you don't need to walk it alone.
If you want to find out how you can heal and become empowered, sign up to Bliss Up Now. With these tools and knowledge, you could harness the power of energy healing to bring to transform your life and attract abundance.