Trauma
Everyone's reaction to potentially traumatic experiences is different. Most people recover well with the help of family and friends and do not experience long-term problems. Some people experience problems directly after the traumatic event or much later.
Key Points
Potentially traumatic events are powerful and upsetting incidents that intrude into daily life. They are usually experiences which are life-threatening or pose a significant threat to a person’s physical or psychological wellbeing. An event may have little impact on one person but cause severe distress in another. A person’s mental and physical health, available support at the time of the event or their past experience and coping skills can influence how they respond to a traumatic event.
Situations and events that can lead to psychological trauma include:
- acts of violence such as an armed robbery war or terrorism
- natural disasters such as bushfires, earthquakes or floods
- interpersonal violence such as rape, child abuse, the suicide of a family member or friend
- involvement in a serious motor vehicle or workplace accident
Other stressful situations which appear less severe may still trigger traumatic reactions in some people.
Symptoms
Many people have strong emotional or physical reactions following the experience of a traumatic event. For most, these reactions subside over a few days or weeks. For some, the symptoms may last longer and be more severe. This may be due to several factors such as the nature of the traumatic event, the level of available support, previous and current life stress, personality, and coping resources. Symptoms of trauma can be described as physical, cognitive (thinking), behavioural (things we do) and emotional.
- Physical symptoms can include excessive alertness (always on the look-out for signs of danger), being easily startled, fatigue/exhaustion, disturbed sleep and general aches and pains.
- Cognitive (thinking) symptoms can include intrusive thoughts and memories of the event, visual images of the event, nightmares, poor concentration and memory, disorientation and confusion.
- Behavioural symptoms can include avoidance of places or activities that are reminders of the event, social withdrawal and isolation and loss of interest in normal activities.
- Emotional symptoms can include fear, numbness and detachment, depression, guilt, anger and irritability, anxiety and panic.
As long as they are not too severe or don’t last for too long, the symptoms described above are normal reactions to trauma. Although these symptoms can be distressing, they will settle quickly in most people. They are part of the natural healing process of adjusting to a very powerful event, making some sense out of what happened, and putting it into perspective.
With understanding and support from family, friends and colleagues, the stress symptoms usually resolve more rapidly.
Seeking Help
Warning signs may include:
- being unable to handle the intense feelings or physical sensations
- feeling numb and empty
- experiencing strong distressing emotions that persist
- being physically tense, agitated or feeling on edge
- disturbed sleep or nightmares
- lacking support from someone with whom you can share your emotions
- having relationship problems with friends, family and colleagues
- increasing your use of alcohol or drugs.