A traumatic event can be defined as a road traffic accident, a natural disaster, the death of a loved one, prolonged abuse, violence, or serious illness. That said, the topics I cover in this post are not exhaustive. Trauma can take its toll on your body, mind and spirit. And it can be difficult to know when a traumatic experience has harmed you, unless you work regularly with a conscious self awareness process. Even then, there are certainly no guarantees one will have trauma impact awareness.
When it comes to dealing with a traumatic experience, the first step is to recognize the impact it has had on your life. There are many support services available to help individuals learn how to cope with trauma and gain a greater understanding of the effect it can have on their mental and physical health. From talking therapy to mindfulness, there’s a range of evidence-based approaches that can be used to help individuals process their experience and move towards healing.
Building resilience is also important when trying to cope with a traumatic event. This involves strengthening your resources so that you have the ability to face challenges and difficult circumstances more easily. It’s important to remember that this process will take time and effort, but there is support out there that can help you on your journey towards recovery.
According to the National Council For Behavioral Health, approximately 70% of Americans (over the age of 18) have experienced trauma in their lifetime. That is well over 200 million people. One could argue that this number will be even higher now that the country has lived through a pandemic.
What exactly happens, though, when you live through a traumatic event?
Your body goes into defense mode, creating the stress response which results in a variety of symptoms, both physical and mental. You will experience your emotions more intensely and likely behave differently as a result of the trauma. The body’s stress response includes physical symptoms such as a spike in blood pressure, an increase in sweating and heart rate, as well as a dip in appetite. I have written more about this below.
Mentally, you may struggle to process the traumatic event for a long time afterwards and can find yourself reliving the event. It’s common to experience a range of emotions such as fear, guilt, shame, confusion, and disbelief. Cognitively, your thinking patterns may be affected, such as difficulty concentrating, feeling foggy and slowed down, as well as difficulty making decisions and ruminating over the memories of the trauma.
Your sense of safety and trust in the world can be dramatically impacted by a traumatic event, leaving you feeling vulnerable and fearful of similar events happening in the future. It’s important to remember that these reactions are natural and that you don’t have to struggle alone. Therapy can be a helpful way to process and handle the traumatic event, as well as create new ways of living a better life.
Do You Think You May Have PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder can leave people feeling anxious long after they experience trauma, whether it results in a physical injury or not. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of anything to do with the trauma, panic attacks, poor concentration, sleep issues, depression, anger, and substance abuse.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be worth considering if you have PTSD. You might feel scared to admit it, but it’s important to take the first step in recognizing what could be a crucial factor in your mental health. Seeing a qualified mental health professional can help you gain insight and understanding into what you are feeling, and to work out a way forward from there. They can provide the support and guidance you need to start coping with the symptoms of PTSD and to create a healthier, happier life.
Do You Think You May Be Experiencing Depression?
If you feel down or sad, that is not necessarily depression. We all feel like that from time to time, but depression is a lasting experience of intense negative emotions such as hopelessness, anxiety, helplessness, and negativity.
It’s key to remember that mental health issues like depression and PTSD don’t only impact your mental health. There are physical symptoms related to mental health as well. Moreover, both the physical and mental effects of trauma may lead you to practice bad habits that negatively contribute to a lack of well being.
Your well being matters and by taking steps to look after yourself properly you can protect your well being from the effects of trauma. By eating well, avoiding substances, and exercises, you can reduce the stress and pressure you’re feeling which will make mental health issues easier to manage. Check out my post on Using Writing to Heal Depression.
Symptoms Of Emotional And Psychological Trauma And What You Can Do
Have you suffered emotional or psychological trauma? If so, you are not alone. Many people go through events like this in life. It is unfortunate that it happens but you are not the only one who has been through this.
Trauma is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as: “The emotional response someone has to an extremely negative event” The response can vary from person to person. Some people may be minimally affected by trauma. Others may be debilitated by the effects.
Learning how to deal with trauma and what resources may be helpful to you are a critical step in moving past emotional or psychological trauma. Also, understanding what happens mentally and physically during times of stress will give you insight into how to help yourself heal.
The Body’s Response To Trauma
A stress response occurs when you go through emotional or psychological trauma. Your mood, thoughts, and emotions can also be part of this response. Following a traumatic event, you may experience denial and/or shock. You may stew in that response for days (or even longer) before you go through a range of emotions before you heal.
However, a lot of people don’t heal. That lack of healing can result in a serious impact on your overall health and wellbeing.
The fight or flight response is when your body produces chemicals which prepare your body for an emergency. This is completely normal and it’s down to evolution. Your body has evolved to respond this way to effectively cope with an emergency, whether it’s to stand and fight or to run away as fast as humanly possible.
Symptoms from this can lead to a wide range of physical events. Some of these include an increase in blood pressure, respiratory rate, sweating and heart rate. You may experience a loss of appetite, along with various kinds of anxiety.
Depending on what kind of traumatic event you experienced, the process for dealing with it varies. Some people feel better with time. Others may go through a coping, grieving, or healing process. I highly recommend this online course, Release Trauma from the Body with BioDynamic Breath Work.
Symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma may include:
● Shock, denial, disbelief
● Confusion, difficulty concentrating
● Anger, irritability, mood swings
● Anxiety and fear
● Guilt, shame, self-blame
● Withdrawing from others
● Feeling sad or hopeless
● Feeling numb
How To Cope When You Are Struggling to Heal From Trauma
Reach Out To Those You Trust
If you can, reach out to a close friend or family member to discuss your trauma. You don’t want to cause them distress by sharing your trauma, but it’s important that you have people in your life you can speak to as you try to improve your wellbeing and recover from trauma.
You don’t necessarily have to discuss the event itself, but you can discuss the feelings you have because of the event. The level that you share events with people in your life is a personal decision. Don’t keep things to yourself. If you need to report an event to a professional or law enforcement, do so. Do your best to make informed choices here and do what is best for you and your health and wellbeing.
Make Self Care A Priority
After going through trauma it is extra important to practice self-care. Take the extra time to get a healthy diet, hydrate, rest, and nourish your soul and emotions. Journal, exercise, do a favorite activity that makes you feel good. All of these things can help you restore your sense of well being and wholeness. Please see my post on how to manage stress in times of chaos.
Self-care also includes setting boundaries and recognizing when you need to be alone. Don’t be afraid to say no to people and requests. Respect yourself and make sure you are taking care of yourself first before trying to meet the expectations of others. Be mindful of how you spend your time and who you spend it with. Knowing when to take a break and prioritize your mental health will prevent burnout and help you stay productive in the long run.
Make sure to surround yourself with people who build you up and support your goals. Make time for activities that you find personally meaningful and make sure to take care of yourself without feeling guilty.
Give Yourself A ‘Self Talk Upgrade’
Self-talk has a powerful effect and influence over our feelings. You can change your frame of mind with the right self-talk. Dealing with trauma is a process. You have more control over your healing than you think. Practice using strong, motivating words. Nothing negative. Any kind of words that remind yourself that you can do it and that you have what it takes.
When it comes to self-talk, it’s important to remember that you don’t just have to accept negative thoughts. You can actively choose to fill your mind with positive, encouraging words. This is an important step towards overcoming trauma. Research shows that regularly using positive self-talk can create a stronger sense of optimism and resilience.
It’s okay to start small – just focus on replacing any negative words with positive ones. Over time, this can help to build your self-confidence. Creating a powerful and positive self-image is a key factor in overcoming trauma and creating a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
Seek Out a Healer or Therapist
If you are experiencing symptoms that are affecting your day to day life, it is important to get outside help if needed. There is no shame in working with experts to improve your overall health and wellbeing.
So how do you know when you should seek further help? You should seek further help if any of the following are occurring in your life:
● Ongoing distress, anxiety, sadness, etc for multiple weeks
● Your work or school is affected
● Your daily life and activities have been affected
● You are using drugs or alcohol to cope
Work To Empower Yourself
This can be different things for different people. Take a self-defense class, start a yoga practice, or learn martial arts. The activity does not have to be physical. You can also empower yourself with knowledge. Participate in activities that remind you of your inner strength, value, worth, and awesomeness. This is great for your mental health and for healing.
If you know you are dealing with the effects of trauma and you feel it is impacting your daily life and contributing to mental health issues, then you should seek a healer. If you don’t have anyone in your life to talk to about what you’re going through, if you have experienced symptoms for longer than six weeks, if someone is encouraging you to seek help, or your performance is affected, you are abusing substances, or struggling to complete daily tasks, then the time to seek help is now.
Overcoming emotional and physical trauma can be hard. Understand that it is a process. It takes work each day to move past traumatic events in life. You are so worth it. Your health, happiness, and well being depend on doing this work. Take the time to heal, empower yourself and move forward from psychological and emotional trauma.
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