Trauma occurs when a person has experienced a distressing event that made them feel threatened, anxious, or frightened as a result. A traumatic event is an incident that causes physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological harm.
Trauma has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Trauma is a common experience for adults and children. Although some people who experience a traumatic event live without lasting negative effects, others will have difficulties and experience traumatic stress reactions. How someone responds to a traumatic experience is personal.
Examples of Traumatic Events:
Death
Divorce
Physical pain
Serious illness
War
Moving
Parental abandonment
Witnessing a death
Domestic abuse
Sexual abuse
Verbal abuse
Bullying
Often there are no visible signs but people may have serious emotional reactions. Shock and denial are often first and are used to protect oneself from the emotional impact of the event. Again, how someone responds to a traumatic experience varies. Common Traumatic Stress Reactions:
Irritability
Sudden, dramatic mood changes
Anxiety and nervousness
Anger
Denial
Depression
Flashbacks
Difficulty concentrating
Insomnia
Changes in appetite
Withdrawal from social interactions
Numb feelings
Traumatic stress tends to evoke two emotional extremes: feeling either too much (overwhelmed) or too little (numb) emotion.
Research has shown that traumatic experiences are associated with both behavioral health and chronic physical health conditions. Substance abuse, mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD), and other risky behaviors have been linked with traumatic experiences. These behavioral health concerns can present challenges in relationships, careers, and other aspects of life.
It is important to understand the nature and impact of trauma and most importantly EXPLORE HEALING.
Seeking treatment with a licensed Psychologist or mental health clinician can help you find the optimal level of emotion to assist a person with appropriately experiencing and regulating emotions. In treatment, the goal is to help a person learn to regulate their emotions without the use of substances or other unsafe behaviors.
According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. That’s 223.4 MILLION people!
Trauma occurs when a person has experienced a distressing event that made them feel threatened, anxious, or frightened as a result. A traumatic event is an incident that causes physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological harm. Trauma has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Trauma is a common experience for adults and children.
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