Trauma as glasses

I’ve needed glasses since the sixth grade. I remember feeling so awkward about them that I ignored that everyone and everything was blurry. I couldn’t read the board, I had to squint when I walked, and I was tripping all the time. It wasn’t until my mom started noticing my grades dropping, sports suffering, and my constant frustration that she took me to the eye doctor. I didn’t want to admit I was different, and in the early 2000s, glasses were a neon sign on my face saying, “I’m a nerd, weirdo, and not pretty.” These are irrational beliefs, but in middle school, they seemed so real to me.



As I’ve worked with trauma for a few years now, I’ve noticed one distinct thing about it: trauma makes us see life differently. Our reality is sometimes blurred or colored by past hurts that cause us to see others through our experiences. Being abused, discarded, avoided, and belittled causes our minds and bodies to develop defense mechanisms to protect ourselves. We overthink small things, overreact, have a short fuse, and think others specifically desire to hurt us. It can be an indication that our trauma has blurred our vision of others.



Trauma often makes us feel victimized, vulnerable, and powerless. The beautiful truth is we have a choice. We can make our lives better by seeking help to see clearer, choosing to believe not everyone will hurt us, and loving even though we have been hurt.

Counseling is a wonderful way to understand how trauma has affected our vision and interaction with life.

It’s comforting to know someone sees life from our perspective and walks with us as we seek to see life more healthily, reminding us that we have the power to choose a better life. We have the power to change our narrative. It takes bravery, self-reflection, determination, and the strength that we can all find within ourselves.



If you find yourself easily hurt, feeling alone, and seeing life through a lens of negativity – You don’t have to feel alone. We are here to lend our glasses as we find a way to see a safer world.



This blog was written by Pinnacle counselor Jeannette Bevan. To learn more about her, you can visit her about page here.

‍