What Is Trauma? And What Are The Symptoms Associated With It?
Trauma is a word that the majority of people have heard of. However, not everyone has a full understanding of what constitutes trauma. Even fewer have a grasp of the symptoms that come after a trauma.
Most people understand trauma to be closely associated with those who have experienced war. Trauma can also be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
However, soldiers are not the only ones who can experience trauma. In fact, anybody, for any reason, can suffer with PTSD.
What Is Trauma?
Simply put, trauma is a psychological response to highly stressful events.
Some examples of trauma, other than war, can include:
Sexual abuse
Domestic abuse
Witnessing or being a victim of crime
Car accident
Bullying
Not every person will respond to these events in the same way. For instance, one person might find a car accident they were in highly traumatizing. While another person may be able to move on with no mental affects shortly thereafter.
Realistically, any event or situation can result in someone experience PTSD symptoms after it occurs.
What Are Signs Of Trauma?
Just as no one will react the same way to those incidents above, not everyone will experience the same symptoms. After a trauma, it is common for people to go through mental and physical symptoms.
Some mental symptoms of trauma may involve:
Nightmares
Flashbacks
Feelings of shame
Confusion
Sadness
Anger
Denial
Some physical symptoms of trauma that can happen are:
Nausea
Sleep difficulties, such as insomnia
Fatigue during the day
Headaches
Panic attacks(racing heart, stomach knots, etc.)
When Will Someone Experience Symptoms Of Trauma?
There is no hard, definitive answer to this one. Trauma can be tricky. Symptoms of PTSD can occur one month, one year, or or decades after the incident. Our bodies and mind have a way of remembering trauma.
So while it may not affect someone right away, that doesn't mean it won't. Any of the above symptoms can begin manifesting themselves for seemingly no reason at all.
What To Do If You Are Dealing With Trauma
Another reason that trauma can be tricky is that sometimes, we convince ourselves that if we ignore it, it will just go away. That's nice, in theory, but unfortunately, it rarely ever works out that way.
Ignoring what we are feeling when it comes to a traumatic event can worsen the symptoms. Even though we are pushing it to the back of our minds, trying to forget about it, the unprocessed emotions and experience of it can still impact us.
Healing from trauma takes time. No matter if it was last week, year, or decades ago. Going through something that is highly distressing takes time to work through. And perseverance. It may not seem like it now, but just being here and surviving what caused you stress is something to be very proud of yourself for.
They say time heals all wounds. And maybe, in some sense, it does. Because while healing from trauma does take time and happens, that doesn't mean it just goes away on it's own.
Without working through the emotions and experience of trauma, it can't truly go unresolved. You may think that no one could get or truly understand what you went through, but that isn't the case.
As a licensed therapist, I understand the psychological impact trauma can have on a person. As a human being with her own life experiences and things to work through, I know how challenging it is to move past trauma.
When you are ready to reach out for support, I am here for you. It doesn't matter how long ago or small you may think the trauma was. Trauma therapy can help you find new ground in the aftermath and to begin to leave the past behind you, once and for all. Connect with me to find out more.
