After Trauma: First Steps to Restoring the Mind

Psychological trauma is not a verdict if you respond to it in time. The doctor puts it simply: first comes the traumatization, and if the trauma is "not treated," it turns into a chronic form. The comparison is blunt but honest: like a concussion that heals with proper recovery — yet under bad conditions can stay for a long time. So the first steps matter most.

Why an early response matters

The longer a person stays in a traumatized state without help, the higher the risk that the acute condition becomes fixed. The doctor warns about aggravating factors — especially alcohol at the moment of shock: intoxication combined with a blow to the mind or head he calls one of the worst scenarios. So the first principle is not to "finish off" an already injured mind.

Step one: restore mental health

"Point one: we restore mental health — that is, good sleep."

The doctor starts from the basics — homeostasis. It is a 24-hour rhythm: enough sleep, nutrition, activity. The logic is simple: "once the psyche settles, your activity follows." Sleep and exertion go hand in hand — you need to "sleep well, run," and stay fully occupied with work. Live in today, without stretching yourself into anxiety about the future.

Energy and the appearance of a decision

When homeostasis is restored, energy returns. And with energy comes the key sign of recovery: the ability to make a decision. As the doctor says, "making a decision is a sign of health — when the brain recovers functionally, it gains the ability to make a decision." If no decision comes, that is a signal to go back to basics: sleep, move, live loaded with work.

What a "real" decision is

The doctor distinguishes two kinds of decisions. One is emotional, not grounded in facts. The other is healthy: it "rests on facts, on cause-and-effect," engaging intellect, knowledge and critical thinking. Such a decision means the human brain — the neocortex — is back at work.

Leaning on beauty and creation

Recovery is not only routine but inspiration. The doctor speaks at length about the beauty of nature and about people who "create" and "complete" the world. Beauty pulls us up to the level of the neocortex, shifting us from reactivity to creation. This is a gentle yet powerful resource on the way out of trauma.

Practice: first steps

1. Sleep and nutrition. Build a rhythm: sleep enough, eat regularly — this is the base of homeostasis.
2. Activity. "Sleep well, run," stay occupied with work, live in today.
3. Remove aggravators. At the moment of shock — no alcohol.
4. Check yourself by decision. If the ability to make any decision appears, the brain is recovering.
5. Lean on facts. A decision should rest on cause-and-effect, not on emotion alone.