Strategies for dealing with grief, loss, sadness and depression: Successful Survivors Podcast E.5

Everyone who experienced childhood trauma of any kind has felt the sadness of not being loved, of being betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect us, of all the things we didn't get and things we fear we may never have.

It has been estimated that 62% of adult survivors of childhood trauma report experiencing depression. Depression is often exacerbated by physical ailments in the lives of survivors of child abuse because the abuse manifests in our bodies.

Successful survivors have lived long enough to work through the depression. We have found the healthy coping mechanisms that work for us until we can replace sadness with genuine joy.

Today we're talking about what has worked for us that we hope will work for you too.

These strategies for dealing with depression will be helpful for anyone who is sick and tired of feeling sad and is ready to move on. So what are these strategies?

1. Acknowledge that depression is temporary. Feelings can change.

2. Realize you have power to choose your thoughts, attitudes, words and actions.

3. Become aware that you can push yourself to do whatever you have to do regardless of feelings of sadness or fear or anger.

4. Understand that perspective is important. Try to put into perspective that your abuser was wrong, out of their mind, intoxicated, etc.

5. For every negative memory you have, use 7-10 positive self-affirmations to create new thought processes and hope for your future.

6. Pay attention to what you're thinking about and acknowledge your feelings, then move on.

7. Get intentional about what you take into your mind through your eyes and ears.

8. Reach out to someone you trust who can give good advice and encouragement.

9. Find your healthy coping skills, like having fun, fitness, friends, hydrate with plenty of water, breathe deeply to get more oxygen to your brain.

10. Write down things that you're grateful for.

11. Be able to distinguish between your emotions and the truth.

12. If you feel anger, look for the emotion behind the anger.

13. Find support--don't expect it to be your significant other or best friend. Those people might be too close to give you objective help.

"Life is tough, but so are you!" --Amber Jewell, LMSW

Successful Survivors podcast is by and for survivors of childhood trauma (abandonment, neglect, chaos, dysfunction, abuse, trafficking or any other cause of trauma). It's real, raw and funny--like us. All hosts and guests are survivors of childhood trauma. If that's you, WE ARE YOUR TRIBE, and you are safe here. We come from every background, culture, race, ethnicity, age group, etc., so we don't agree on everything. (It would be pretty boring if we did!) Survivors do better in life when we're connected. We push through troubles, we persevere, and we get through hard times--usually with a few laughs. To contact us go to https://www.successfulsurvivors.org/join. There's no cost or obligation to join--just purpose, meaning and connection. Please subscribe @successfulsurvivors . If you prefer YouTube, you can find us at

You can find us all on Facebook. @rhondasciortino @dianamoshier @dawn.windle @amberjewellhope @fostercarecloset (Leigh Esau)