The first time my therapist asked me to be open and honest with my unresolved trauma, we likened it to breaking the chains on a metaphorical latch, and simply unlocking with a key that which was in my possession all along. On paper this sounds like an effortless task, yet in reality it took months of sessions before being able to reach that point.
Emotional trauma causes varying responses in the human psyche, from irrational fear to unprovoked rage to withdrawn isolation and complete depersonalisation. When a trauma is not addressed and confronted, it can even lead to physical responses such as confusion, nightmares and panic attacks, all of which can exacerbate the already existing psychological effects from the original trauma. Therefore a destructive cycle of potentially dangerous mental health issues begins, and it all stems from the traumatic experience being left unresolved.