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Trauma

After enduring a traumatic event, some people suffer from stress, anxiety depression and more. Coping after a traumatic event can be difficult, especially when symptoms cause serious impairment of everyday functioning. That’s why it’s important to find healthy ways to cope and know when to seek help

Traumatic events can cause the following symptoms:

  • Intrusive thoughts (nightmares, flashbacks, memories)
  • Avoiding reminders of the trauma
  • Experiencing strong emotional and physical reactions when reminded of the trauma
  • Detachment from others
  • Irritability
  • Feeling numb/empty
  • Hypervigilance
  • Racing thoughts
  • Shame and blame
  • Feeling anxious and/or depressed
  • Trouble sleeping

How do I know it is time to get help?
Sometimes, natural coping allows for traumatic stress reactions to diminish. Taking care of your basic needs and connecting with friends/family can be helpful. But if symptoms continue for more than a month, it is time to seek professional counseling. It is also time to seek counseling if attempts to deal with trauma lead to unhealthy coping behaviors such as excessive drinking and/or drug use.

Some examples of traumatic events can include (but are not limited to):

  • Near drowning
  • Sexual abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Childhood neglect
  • Physical attack
  • Military combat
  • Sexual assault
  • Kidnapped/Hostage
  • Car wreck
  • Natural disaster
  • Animal attack
  • Serious medical illness
  • Being a victim of stalking

People can experience traumatic events on a regular basis that is not tied to one particular event. This can lead to what is referred to as Complex PTSD or Developmental PTSD where survival mode has become a way of life.

Helpful Links

National Center for PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/

Trauma-Related Resources: