Trauma is perhaps one of the
most underdiagnosed mental health conditions in the world today. Trauma can
occur in every neighbourhood, every socio-economic class, and in every city or
rural area across the globe.
In its most basic form,
trauma, in the mental health definition of the term, is any type of experience
that causes emotional distress, pain, and damage to an individual. It is an
internal issue which leaves people feeling helpless, powerless, and unable to
control the fear and anxiety they are experiencing. Often, people may not
realise the problematic thoughts and even the physiological responses they are
experiencing are linked to something they saw, or experienced in their near or
distant past.
The Experience
There are many different
experiences in life which can cause emotional trauma. Some of the most common
include:
• Experiencing a life threatening situation
• Being in a car accident or witnessing an accident
• Being assaulted or abused
• Experiencing abuse as a child
• Sexual harassment
• Chronic illnesses
• Public humiliation
• Witnessing abuse or cruelty
The key to remember is that
not all people respond to the same experiences in the same way. For example, an
individual may come home to find that their home has been broken into, and they
have been robbed. For some, this may cause feelings of anger, which could turn
into motivation to get involved in social justice or neighbourhood safety
programs. For another individual, it could bring about feelings of extreme fear
when coming home, when being alone, or when thinking about their personal
safety.
The Signs and Symptoms
The signs of trauma can be
almost immediate, or they can take months or even years to become problematic.
They may also come and go based on other factors in your life and in your
environment. Typical responses to trauma which are significant and problematic
include:
• Withdrawing from social situations
• Extreme anxiety during familiar events or activities which
were not problematic or stressful in the past
• Flashbacks or unwanted memories of a traumatic event
• Difficulty in sleeping, nightmares and fear of nightmares
• Agitation and irritability
• Problems concentrating at work or in social situations
• Fear of specific places, often those similar to or
associated with the trauma
• Feelings of intense panic which may result in wanting to
flee, to fight or to freeze
• Mental fatigue, confusion and exhaustion
You may also find even
watching a show on television or seeing a similar event in a movie is very
disturbing and brings back the fear, anxiety, and stress associated with the event
in your life.
Counselling and Support
There are several options
for counselling, psychotherapy, and even specialized therapy for those with
PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder), which are highly effective in processing
the trauma and moving forward.
By working with a
professional trained in trauma counselling, a safe, supportive, and positive
environment is created in the sessions to allow the client to look back on the
traumatic event, and separate the reality from the ongoing fear and anxiety
around the event.
Specific coping strategies
can be used to allow the client to take control of the stress and anxiety they
are feeling and work through the emotional component. With the help of the
therapist, the trauma is literally unpacked and examined, normalising the event
and developing effective strategies for the future.
Posted by : Philippe Jacquet
