Trauma

What is Trauma

Trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that destroy your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it does not involve physical harm.

What are the effects of Trauma

It can leave you struggling with disturbing emotions, memories, and anxiety that won't go away. It can leave you feeling callous, disconnected and unable to trust other people. Traumatization occurs when internal and external resources are not sufficient to deal with the external threat.

Childhood Trauma

Can result from anything that disrupts a child's sense of security, including: An unstable or insecure home, separation from a parent, serious illness, intrusive medical procedures, sexual, physical, verbal abuse, domestic violence, or neglect.

Experiencing trauma in childhood can result in a severe and long-lasting effect. When childhood trauma is not resolved, a sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for greater trauma.

Reactions to Childhood Trauma

Regression: many children need to return to a previous stage where they felt safer (wetting the bed, bottle feeding, fear of being alone). Thinking that the event is your fault. Feeling helpless. Sleep disorders. Some children have difficulty falling asleep; others wake up frequently or have disturbing dreams.

How to help your Child

Be patient. It may take a while before your child can sleep at night and feel better. Trying to spend more time together, doing quiet activities. Communicate openly. Let them know that it is normal to feel scared or upset. Let them see you dealing with your symptoms in a positive way.

 What causes Trauma

Physical, sexual or emotional abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, community violence, emotional or physical neglect, parental mental health issues (depression, suicide, incarcerated parent(s), addictions and substance abuse), natural disasters (hurricane, fire), sudden and violent death of a loved one, witnessing a war, or genocide.

Seeing horrific images on social media and news sources over and over again can overwhelm your nervous system and create traumatic stress.

 Common overlooked causes: surgery, sudden death of someone close, breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience

Psychological & Emotional Symptoms

Shock, denial or disbelief, confusion, difficulty concentrating, anger, irritability, mood swings, anxiety and fear, guilt, blame yourself, shame, withdraw from others, feeling sad or hopeless, feeling disconnected or numb, what are they physical symptoms, insomnia or nightmares, fatigue, easily surprised, difficult to focus, racing heartbeat, nervousness, agitation, and muscle tension

We all react to trauma in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. There is no right or wrong way to think, feel, or respond, so don't judge your own or other people's reaction. Your responses are normal reactions to abnormal events.

Healing from Trauma

Trauma symptoms typically last from a few days to a few months and gradually fade as you process the disturbing event. But even when you feel better, you may occasionally struggle with painful memories or emotions, especially in response to triggers like an anniversary of the event or something that reminds you of the trauma.

If the symptoms of your trauma do not subside or if they worsen and you find that you cannot overcome the event for an extended period of time, you may be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Emotional trauma is a normal response to a disturbing event, when your nervous system becomes "stuck" and you remain in a state of psychological shock, unable to understand what happened or process your emotions it becomes PTSD.

Whether or not a traumatic event involves death, you as a survivor must cope with the loss, the natural reaction to this loss is grief.

 Ways to cope with Trauma

• Connect with others

• Don't isolate yourself

• Share your traumatic story/experiences

• Ask for support

• Participate in social activities

• Join a support group for trauma survivors

• Try to exercise for 20 minutes or more (walking, running, dancing)

• Add an element of mindfulness (focus on your body)

• Conscious breathing

• Allow yourself to feel what you feel when you feel it (acknowledge your feelings)

• Take care of your health

•  Seek professional help for trauma.

When to seek professional help

If your having problems functioning at home or work, suffering from severe fear, anxiety, and/or depression, unable to form close and satisfying relationships, experiencing frightening memories or nightmares, avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma, emotionally numbness and disconnected from others, using alcohol or drugs to feel better.

Trauma Treatment

To heal from psychological and emotional trauma, you will need to resolve the unpleasant feelings and memories that you have avoided. Somatic experiencing: focuses on bodily sensations, rather than thoughts and memories about the traumatic event.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): helps process and evaluate your thoughts and feelings about trauma.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Incorporates elements of CBT therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic stimulation that can "unfreeze" traumatic memories.

How to help a Loved one

Be patient and understand healing from trauma takes time and everyone moves at their own pace. Everyone's response to trauma is different. Offer practical support to help your loved one return to their normal routine. Don't pressure your loved one to talk, but be available if they want to talk. Some trauma survivors find it difficult to talk about what happened. Help your loved one socialize and relax. Encourage them to participate in physical exercise, make friends, and pursue hobbies and other activities that bring them pleasure. 

Don't take trauma symptoms personally. Your loved one may become angry, irritable, withdrawn, or emotionally distant. Remember that it is a result of trauma and may have nothing to do with you or your relationship.

References:

Robinson, Lawrence, Smith, Melinda, Segal, Jeanne, “Emotional and Psychological Trauma”. Helpguide.org, November 2021

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/coping-with-emotional-and-psychological-trauma.htm

New Beginnings Christian Counseling is committed with helping you heal from your trauma, childhood wounds, adult wounds, negative experiences, or past hurts. Contact us today to start working with one of our trauma therapists.