For a while in my life, I played football on organized teams. The kind of football with helmets, pads, 12 men and lots of physical contact. As part of that time in my life, I endured my share of injuries.
One injury that stands out was getting the air knocked out of me. The first time it happens to you is frightening. The sensation of being unable to get your breath or speak sticks with you.
I was fortunate that that was the worst that happened to me. I still cringe when I think of the time Mark Woods got his bell rung. That to me was worse than getting the air knocked out of me.
These days, there are educational programs helping recognize the signs of trauma when they happen
Later, I viewed incidents like my injury as common and a routine risk that goes with contact sports. The first time it happened scared me. Sensations of panic and helplessness engulfed me.
Fortunately, my coach was an experienced hand at this kind of thing. He knew what to do and in a moment, I was breathing again. Although the episode only lasted a few seconds by the clock, for me, it was a time-stopping event where I was face to face with panic.
I also learned that when others asked, it was okay saying “I just had the breath knocked out of me” rather than saying “I thought I was gonna die!”
I mention this episode since some writers have likened the initial shock of an affair to traumatic shocks such as getting the air knocked out of you. The sudden change brings disbelief, disturbance in emotions and radical changes in how you view the world.
After the shock of injury, I recognized what I was facing along with ways of coping with it. I knew what to do the next time I had the breath knocked out of me. When the shock of an affair hits you, do you know what to do?
The sudden change in your world is dramatic. Like having your breath knocked out, you’re now gasping and feeling helpless. There’s also the sensation of being emotionally stunned.
Whether or not you recognize it as traumatizing, it is. You may not recognize trauma when it happens to you or its symptoms. Even though you don’t recognize what happened as a trauma, your body does.
In the video “Overcoming Affair Trauma“, you can learn what the signs are along with ways of dealing with the sudden shock it brings.
Rather than lay there emotionally flaying and gasping, you can instead, regain your sense of self and move forward.
Best Regards,
Jeff
