Trauma is emotional shock following a distressing or disturbing event. Trauma affects people’s ability to cope, may cause them to feel helpless, and may make it difficult for someone to feel a full range of emotions. They also may feel a little lost and like they don’t know who they are anymore.
While you may think of trauma as being large scale disasters or events, trauma can be very personal.
Types of traumas include:
- Prenatal stress
- childhood experiences
- Abuse (physical/ sexual)
- Neglect
- Living in a violent community
- Domestic violence
- Natural disasters
- Negative medical experiences
- Bullying
- Grief
Who is affected by trauma?
More people than you probably realize are affected by trauma.
According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, trauma is a common experience for adults and children in the U.S., and it is especially common for people with mental and substance use disorders.
Individual trauma is an event or circumstance resulting in physical harm, emotional harm, and/or life-threatening harm. These events or circumstances have lasting negative effects on people’s mental and physical health.
By simply living through the COVID-19 pandemic many of us have been in traumatic circumstances.
What happens to your brain when you experience trauma?
Trauma causes injury to our brains that can be lasting.
The areas of the brain that are most affected by trauma detect threats and control the “fight or flight” response. Trauma can also interfere with parts of the brain that control attention and awareness; help you make decisions about how to respond to situations; determine the meaning and emotional significance of events; and regulates emotions.
And just like healing from an injury hurts so does healing from trauma.
Negative effects of trauma to look out for
It is always okay to seek out professional help to cope with your trauma. You do not need to wait for any specific signs or symptoms, or for things to get worse, before you find someone to talk to. However, if you or someone you know is exhibiting some of the following behaviors following trauma it’s important to get help.
It is first important to note that most people have intense responses immediately after experiencing trauma. These responses may last several months. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these responses can include:
- Feeling anxious, sad, or angry
- Trouble concentrating and sleeping
- Continually thinking about what happened
If these initial responses interfere with everyday life or are not getting better over time, it is important to seek professional help. Some additional signs that an individual may need help include:
- Crying often
- Having frightening thoughts or flashbacks, reliving the experience
- Feeling resentful, or irritable
- Having nightmares or difficulty sleeping
- Avoiding places or people that bring back disturbing memories and responses
- Isolating from family and friends
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there also may be physical symptoms that someone’s trauma is adversely affecting their physical health. This can include:
- Headaches
- Stomach pain and digestive issues
- Feeling tired
- Racing heart and sweating
- Being jumpy and easily startled
If you or a loved one are coping with trauma and live in the Chicago-area call LSSI Connect at 833.610.5774 to see if Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ mental health services may be right for you. Not in the Chicago area, but looking for mental health services? Contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 900.950.6264. If you are in crisis anywhere in the U.S. call 988 to access the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
