Trauma

Psychological trauma is an emotional response to a distressing experience; either a one-off incident; multiple traumatic events or repeated and prolonged violence or abuse. Trauma can be acute, with symptoms resolving without long-term consequences. However, trauma may become chronic and complex, sometimes leading to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Our reactions to trauma vary, but initial symptoms are the brain’s natural response to manage the trauma. These symptoms can include shock, hyperarousal (always being alert to potential danger), sleep disturbance, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, fear, agitation, fatigue, sadness, withdrawal, shame, numbness, confusion, and dissociation (rather like an out of body experience, when you disconnect from your thoughts, feelings, and memories). So, you can either feel too much or too little, depending on your individual response style and coping mechanisms.

You may or may not choose to talk about your trauma. Not talking about it is not necessarily a bad thing and may reflect your own style of coping. However, you may benefit from talking about either the impact of the trauma (without disclosing details of the trauma) or your actual traumatic experience, to help process your trauma and move on. This is especially relevant if your trauma symptoms won’t go away and are driving you to engage in unhealthy coping strategies like avoidance, self-medication (with alcohol or drugs), and high-risk or self-harming behaviours. Trauma-focussed therapy can help you to address your trauma, providing a safe space for you talk about your experience and how it has impacted your life. Working through your trauma with a therapist can provide you with the tools to process your feelings and emotions, and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma. This can help you to develop more functional coping strategies, build resilience, take back control, and rebuild your sense of self.

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