Blog Post: Transition Vs. Trauma

Transition is a passage from one state, stage, or place to another. Trauma is a severe emotional, physical, mental, or psychic injury, wound, or state. Sometimes the symptoms of transition and trauma are similar (anxiety, sadness, agitation, shock, guilt, shame, worry) but trauma is deeper, chronic, immobilizing and more numbing.

Transition can feel like a roller coaster with emotional ups and downs. You might feel like a loser one minute and winner the next. Your confidence can fluctuate from over-the-top to non-existent. Whether you are high or low, you do experience some kind of movement even if it's questioning everything or distracting yourself with excessive TV, exercise, food or computer time. The work in transition is equilibrium.

Trauma is low energy state of powerlessness where everything seems to be moving but you. You may feel lost in a maze of overwhelming emotions where grief, confusion and disconnection settle in for a while. In this state of listlessness it's hard to know where you are much less how to get out. The work in trauma is healing.

Both transition and trauma are doorways to transformation. If you are in trauma, you may explore working with a psychotherapist, grief counselor, healer, or body worker to heal the wound. If you are in transition, a coach can help you move in the direction of your dreams instead of your fears. 

Wherever you are in your career journey, please be gentle with yourself. When in doubt, consider Robert Frost's wise words, "The only way out is through."

For more info:
www.claudiahelade.com

www.coachfederation.com

www.denvercoach.com

http://healing.about.com

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm

http://www.healingresources.info/emotional_trauma_overview.htm

www.lynnefoote.com

www.lyngregory.com

www.marthabeck.com

www.psychotherapistsguild.com