Why Hitting Rock Bottom Can Be a Blessing in Disguise

CPTSD healing and complex trauma recovery often requires hitting rock bottom before transformation begins. It can take a push in the wrong direction to make us finally decide to get help or make changes in our lives. Why can hitting rock bottom be a blessing in disguise? In this video from Tim's re-parenting series, he goes over some of his favourite ways of looking at pain and pressure as a catalyst for beauty and change.

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#pain #complextrauma #reparenting #traumainformed #trauma #cptsd #childhoodtrauma #lifelessons #rockbottom

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DISCLAIMER:

Tim Fletcher is not a doctor or licensed therapist; he is a counsellor in Canada and has worked with people with Complex Trauma and Addiction for decades. Tim’s videos are for informational purposes only to provide understanding, learning, and awareness about complex trauma. No information published here can replace professional evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment.

[marwamosa]

I'm from Egypt, I found this channel 3 years ago and you literally pulled me out of suicide Thank you Tim

[SP-mlbs]

I finally hit rock bottom with smoking and now I am almost 100 days smoke-free. I got sick with respiratory illnesses 3 times last year and the final time (Christmas day of all days) I woke up sick with another respiratory illness and lost the desire to smoke. That desire has not returned and I am enjoying having healthier throat and lungs and my smoker's cough has finally gone away. I am glad I got sick so many times last year because it was the rock bottom to force me to change. I've wanted to quit smoking for years.

[susanherrera]

I never thought I’d say this, but hitting rock bottom was the wake-up call I never knew I needed. At the time, it felt like everything was falling apart—until I realized it was actually falling into place. Stripping away everything I thought I needed forced me to finally rebuild on my own terms. My friend actually put me on to Shift Your Mind by Alexander Brooks, and that book helped me shift my perspective in ways I never imagined. If you're in that dark place right now, trust me—there’s a way out.

[nikstar]

A guy broke up with me in 2019, I had a spiritual awakening 4 months later, gave up smoking, went to therapy and found out I’m the scapegoat. It’s been over 4 years no contact now. Life is unbelievably different. I gave up my 9-5 and spend everyday just healing my body and mind now doing full time house sitting with animals to heal my inner child too 😢❤

[MissiJade]

Pain has saved my life. As bizarre as this sounds. I was in a 5 1/2 year completely isolated and I have CPTSD, chronic pain, severe burnout and it took cancer. Two major head surgeries to get me back. Well the beginning of my authenticity. I had absolutely no idea who I was and I finally said NO, and informed some major boundaries. I finally had some compassion and this time towards myself 😊

[darcysbestlife]

My life turned upside down when I got cancer. Chemo and surgeries made me find a solid foundation in Christ. I was a believer already but this experience brought me back to Him. He prunes us. John 15:2

[Charlotte_breathes_fire]

Extreme pain is what brought me to realize my family of origin had been scapegoating me for 51 years, and it's been the reminder to keep trying to heal more. It's horrific, but the alternative is worse.
Love the metaphors. Amazing as usual.

[Azeteck_casual]

It shows how strong you are. The moment you have no alternative to move on you can do it. Because that's your only option. Good thing is you don t have to be so hard on yourself. Stay healthy

[GiftsAmimalsGiveUs]

This happened to me so much happened and now I'm homeless. Though losing almost everything thing I truly put all my trust in Christ. I just started growing more. I found a job and its not easy being homeless but it also humble me. I can see things more clearly than ever before.

[jacquie_lawson]

So much wisdom here. Thank you for all that you share, God bless 🙏🏼

[irishguyjg_ndchancerecovery]

Its absolutely a blessing, but harsh and hard to experience.

[LololoLubago]

Tim is such a good teacher and person, I’m healing just because I see in him that there is goodness in the world to hope for. Thank you, Teacher❤

[angelsone]

Tim, I wanted to let you know how much of a blessing your content has been in my journey of recovery. I am an advocate for survivors of trauma and I always highly recommend your videos. Many trauma survivors as you well know have addictions. At the root is most often complex cptsd. You do the best job with this topic than any other content on YouTube. Thank 🙏

[julzprovenzola]

Tim I just want you to know that you saved my life! Thank you!

[TondraKnudson]

I was addicted to sugar from childhood. My dad got brain cancer when I was 11 and died when I was 18. He was on a healing diet which included zero sugar and he stopped the cancer growth. But when he started back up, it grew and ultimately took his life. I had prayed for years to be broken of the addiction because I knew how bad sugar was. Finally I got sick thyroid disfunction and anxiety, insomnia and went off of all sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine and alcohol, no changes. So I ended up in therapy because I had massive anxiety. Eventually found, the Orthadox church, yoga, therapy, digging deep on mindfulness. And 3 1/2 years later I can say Im well and only treat myself here and there and am not interested in eating much.

[Jay-inny]

Wow. This describes my current situation perfectly. I spent a lot of 2023 addressing unhealthy coping mechanisms and addictions and met someone I fell madly in love with and dated through 2024. I dropped all the things that got me into a good place to become available all the time for my partner - my medication, my friendships, my hobbies, my support groups, all gone by the wayside and before I knew it I was back using my old vices again which ended up being a large role in the relationship ending at the start of this year, so now the pain of the relationship ended is pushing me to put the work in properly this time and not abandon it. I feel like I get closer each time I put the work in but end up frustrated at myself for not seeing it how I do now.

[MyHidingPlace]

Lovely, very beautiful sir. Thank you for this amalgamation of concepts. My core shame is something I’ve had to face incrementally. It’s not an overnight affair. And the pain of that shame is not easily dispersed. Particularly when it involves your “nurturing figures”; and also, decisions we’ve made that increase that shame.

[cristina]

The more you process pain the less you need it cause ultimately life is a spiritual journey of rising in consciousness

[maevey]

Gosh, not only is this a great metaphor, but it's exactly what I've gone through over the last 9 months or so. Pain from mistreatment pushed me into making massive changes. Extremely uncomfortable changes that have upset the apple cart. Healing is slow but is going in the right direction. Thanks for this, it's so affirming (as always).

[catsarethecure]

Man you're the smartest dude on these things 😮