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Miley Cyrus Wants You to Know It's OK If You Don't Process Trauma Like Anyone Else

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What happened: Singer and actress Miley Cyrus is speaking out about coping with trauma and how she’s found a way to move on after recent difficult events in her life. The star explained on a Scandinavian talk show how she’s healed after going through a divorce and losing her home in Malibu to a fire. She said she doesn’t usually spend a lot of time crying over the hard times, and that she believes there’s a stigma for women who process trauma by moving on like her.

In a way, I didn’t spend too much time crying over it and it wasn’t because I was cold or trying to avoid feeling something but it was just because I wasn’t going to change it. I tried to just continue to be active in what I can control, otherwise you just start feeling like you’re trapped. — Miley Cyrus

The Frontlines: During the interview, Cyrus shared how she copes with trauma and loss. “I heal through movement. I heal through traveling and meeting new people. As you lose one person, another person comes into your life,” she said. The ways that people react to traumatic events and the way they heal can vary greatly depending on the individual.

  • According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people can experience feelings of anxiety, sadness, or anger after a traumatic event. Some may also have trouble concentrating or sleeping.
  • For some, traumatic events may be difficult, but they’re able to move through the pain over time. Others can go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People at risk for PTSD may have pre-existing mental health conditions or a history of abuse.
  • Experts highlight that an important step to healing is finding connection with others. Social connection after trauma can also prevent people from developing PTSD
  • In conclusion, everyone’s different when it comes to processing trauma. There isn’t a right or wrong way.

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A Mighty Voice: Our contributor, Ashley L. Peterson, shared what it can be like to have lived through trauma but not have PTSD. She said, “I had a range of trauma effects, particularly around avoidance. Yet I was never diagnosed with PTSD, and I don’t believe that I meet the diagnostic criteria. The way I conceptualize it is that I experienced trauma, but my mind’s processing of the trauma-related events was slowed down rather than stuck, and as a result it didn’t progress to PTSD.” You can submit your first-person story, too.

From Our Community:

Who or what inspires you?

Other things to know: Here is what other Mighty contributors are saying about coping with and healing from trauma:

How to take action: You can learn more about coping with a traumatic event here and watch more of Cyrus’ interview below.

Header image via YouTube

Originally published: November 6, 2020
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