Psychoeducation · Trauma responses
Why do old feelings sometimes come back even when I understand them better now?
You might think…
“I thought I'd moved past this.”
“Why do I feel the same way again?”
A closer look
A new situation, relationship, conflict, or anniversary can bring back old fears or reactions in your body, even when you've learned a lot about what happened. Understanding why you react a certain way doesn't always stop the feeling from returning. Some periods may be easier than others.
What matters
It can feel discouraging when you've come to understand so much about what happened, but an old fear, feeling of shame, or reaction in your body suddenly returns. You may wonder how it can still hurt this much.
One hard day doesn't erase what you've learned. And you don't need to blame yourself when what happened sometimes hurts badly again.
A reminder
An old fear coming back doesn't erase what I've learned about myself.
Having a hard day again doesn't mean I've done anything wrong.
Sources and research (4)
- NICE (2018, updated guideline) · Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, NG116
- SAMHSA · Trauma-Informed Approaches and Programs
- Steinert, C. et al. (2015) · The Course of PTSD in Naturalistic Long-Term Studies: High Variability of Outcomes. A Systematic Review
- VA National Center for PTSD · Anniversary Reactions and Other Recurring Trauma Reminders