Guest Blog: Energy Medicine In Healing PTSD

Rose Landes is passionate member of the recovery community. A rebel who found her cause, she uses blogging and social media to raise the awareness about the disease of addiction. She has visited all over North and South America. Single mom to two beautiful children she has learned parenting is without a doubt the most rewarding job in the world. Currently the Outreach Director at Stodzy Internet Marketing.

There are many paths to recovery. The longer I stay in recovery, the more I realize that it’s not how you get you sober, it’s how you stay sober. Everyone has a unique journey and path in this lifelong process. For me this has included a lot of different holistic modalities. This approach has given me healing for trauma and PTSD.

I Am A Survivor
I am proud to say this today. As a child, I experienced trauma at a young age and struggled to comprehend what was going on in my world. In my opinion sexual trauma has devastating consequences on an individual’s mind,body, and soul. I think that this is why, it is critical that when treating trauma there is an incorporation of methods which treat all three aspects of a person.

Where I found my passion
I am a passionate person and once I discover something that resonates with me I will go to great lengths in following my truth. When I found out I was pregnant I began to research and explore a holistic approach to life. I began to make changes to personal care products and cleaning supplies as well as incorporating locally sourced food and organic when possible.

So began my journey into alternative therapies and approaches to life. After my second child was born I began to look for careers that would allow me to further my interest in holistic nutrition. I decided to pursue a career as a massage therapist.

This was one of the best decisions. I would later realize this as I was able to give and receive ALOT of bodywork. This was life changing for me. Massage therapy helps to release the traumatic memories that your body stores during your life. Other modalities include Energy Medicine.

What is Energy Medicine
So energy medicine helps to heal the body by activating the body’s own natural healing energies, it also heals the body balancing and restoring the flow of energy. I feel that the energy medicine impacts someone on a spiritual level. This is why it can make a world of difference for those suffering from trauma.

Energy medicine is a unique experience to say the least! I know that a lot of people think its a load of crap but for me it worked. It made a huge difference. The thing with alternative approaches is that it has taken a long time for western medicine to consider them viable options for treatment. Initially they did not have case studies to support their claims however as the practice of massage therapy and bodywork has expanded this is not the case anymore.

At this point the Federal government recognizes and considers energy medicine an important component in treating PTSD in veterans.

Finally, Help That Worked
Before I even went to treatment for substance use I had joy of getting lots of massage and energy work. During my 2 years in massage school I not only gave a lot of massages I had the opportunity to get a lot of them.

I loved going to school. Massage school was a gift and a serendipitous opportunity of finding my gift. This was a gift that I was completely unaware of. I had no idea that I would fall in love with and feel so passionately about a career. I found out something about myself that I had no idea was there. I look back at that time and honestly see it as the starting point for me.I finally built up enough self worth to make the changes I needed to in my life and get help. I needed to get treatment for drugs and alcohol and an eating disorder.

During my training, I had the opportunity to learn facial reflexology which is a type of energy work that uses pressure on specific point on meridians(which are energy channels in your body). Each treatment is tailored to the the client based on whatever energy imbalances there may be in the body. I personally experienced a significant change in the flashbacks I had on a regular basis from PTSD. Turns out facial reflexology works well for individuals suffering from PTSD.

I was able to go from where every time I thought about that trauma I was back in that moment experiencing it all over again. To the point where I was no longer vividly reliving the experience. This was just through the use of energy work I had not started therapy yet.

When I entered treatment I continued on my journey to healing. I received intensive therapy to start to address the PTSD, along with that they also offered Reiki, Acupuncture and massage therapy. All of these modalities continued to heal me slowly but surely I got better.

Today I can say that I am well on my way to healing, at this moment it has been months since I have had a flashback. I hope that for those who are skeptics of this as an option they would at least consider trying it. What’s it going to hurt and if it helps wonderful. What I’m saying is like the 12-step programs at least try it.

Chronic emotional pain is debilitating and no one should have to spend their life like this. finally getting the healing I wanted for so long leaves me with tears of gratitude for this blessing.

My Life Is So Much Different Now
I’m not going to say the last few years have been a piece of cake, but the difference between now and the life I led before is like night and day.

I still had work to do in order to develop healthy habits and behaviors, but I was able to do that work because I wasn’t paralyzed by constant fear and anxiety.

I’m so grateful I was given the opportunity to go to a treatment center that offered alternative, holistic therapies. I believe they helped me heal, and gave me the chance to finally turn my life around.