trauma
Traumatic experiences: how does the body react?
The experience of a traumatic event tends to change us, our beliefs about the world, and maybe even our beliefs about the future. We may have believed in a fair, just world and after experiencing something terrible. The world no longer feels like a safe place.
Traumatic experiences could include isolated events such as surviving a car accident or an armed robbery, or ongoing traumatic events such as childhood abuse (child psychologist). When traumas occur, the body goes through shock. Additionally, the victims may experience fear or become paralyzed and numb, not feeling anything at all. They may feel disconnected from reality. This is a defense mechanism, geared towards protecting the person from a situation that feels intolerable to bear.
If the reaction to a traumatic event persists long after the event occurred, it is possible that the person has developed a condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People who suffer from PTSD may:
- Re-experience the event in their dreams, like flashbacks, or feel severe distress when something reminds them of the traumatic event.
- Avoid people or places that remind them of the trauma.
- Avoid and restrict their emotions, and may feel as if they are no longer capable of love.
- Become easily angered and irritable
- Have difficulty with sleep and with concentration
What are typical changes in people who suffer from PTSD?
- Emotional changes (e.g. easily angered, more impulsive or hyper-vigilant)
- Changes to attention (e.g. zone out, don’t feel like themselves)
- Changes affecting the physiology (e.g. digestive problems, difficulties with sleep)
- Self-view changes (e.g. feel guilty or misunderstood)
- Changes in relationships with others (e.g. inability to trust and feel close to others)
- Changes in systems of meaning (e.g. hopeless, loss of beliefs)
Trauma Therapy
There are a few therapeutic approaches that proved to help people process their traumatic experiences and overcome their symptoms. Therefore, therapy helps clients find new meaning in their lives and feel freer from the heavy weight that they used to carry on their shoulders. The psychological treatments that are effective for PTSD are:
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Prolonged Exposure (PE)
- Trauma Therapy
These are all different ways of working through the trauma. In fact, if you need help with this, there is no shame in reaching out and asking for help. You are not alone. It is difficult to heal with no guidance or road map about what you are supposed to do. You may feel that helping yourself is very difficult at that point. To start, contact a registered psychologist with training and experience in helping people with traumatic stress.
Further Readings:
Interpersonal Trauma: 5 Steps to help you
Free Trauma Treatment Consultation
If you have any questions about interpersonal trauma therapy, feel free to contact us at 905-597-4404 for a free 15-minute consultation, or fill out the form below and someone will contact you within 24 business hours.
