Trauma and PTSD
Trauma happens when our body or mind becomes overwhelmed by traumatic events. These might be events we personally experienced, indirectly witnessed or even firmly believed were about to happen.
Trauma comes from the Greek word τραύμα, which means wound. And that’s just what trauma is: a wound. When you experience traumatic events, it’s like a fuse blows in your brain, and sometimes things don’t quite work right afterwards. After a trauma, you might find it hard to recall some aspects of what happened while possibly reliving other parts as if they were happening again.
But fuses are there for a reason: to prevent a circuit from overloading, causing more damage. So it is with your brain. Therefore, the trauma response is a normal response to an abnormal situation. And one that protects you from possible worse harm.
Thankfully, wounds heal. Minor injuries, and minor traumas, often heal themselves. But more severe or more complex wounds (and traumas) often need specialist help.
What causes psychological trauma or PTSD?
Any event which you found particularly distressing, or any series of events that, taken together, affected you could lead to post-traumatic stress and, possibly, PTSD.
It could be a single event such as a road traffic accident or a physical or sexual assault. Or it could be a sustained series of seemingly minor incidents, such as bullying or domestic abuse. It could be something you witnessed or heard about happening to someone close to you. Sometimes, even an event that didn’t occur can cause psychological trauma. For example, if you firmly believed you would be killed, raped, or suffer another such event, the ‘fuse’ can still blow, just as if it had happened. Again, that’s a totally normal response to an abnormal situation. Your brain is protecting you.
While any event, or series of events, can lead to psychological trauma, some of the more common ones include:
Abuse
Any improper treatment that leads you to feel violated in some way constitutes abuse. It could be physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual abuse. Or something like bullying and degrading behaviours, possibly repeated over a prolonged period.
Accidents
Witnessing or being involved in an accident can lead to a traumatic response, as can ‘near misses.’
Catastrophic events
Natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis can be devastating. So can wars, terror activities, etcetera. Such events can severely impact those who are directly or indirectly involved.
Violence
Experiencing any form of violence can be traumatic. If you have been the victim of physical violence, threatened with violence, or even witnessed a violent attack, you might be experiencing symptoms of psychological trauma.
By no means is this a comprehensive list of the causes of psychological trauma: that would be impossible. So, if your particular ‘thing’ isn’t listed, don’t worry. What matters is your experience: if you found it traumatic, it was trauma.
The signs and symptoms of trauma
There is no definitive list of trauma symptoms as they vary from person to person and trauma to trauma. However, some of the common signs include:
- Aches and pains
- Addictions and compulsions
- Alcohol and substance use
- Anger, irritability, and mood swings
- Anxiety and fear
- Avoidance of people, places or situations
- Body dysmorphia/body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- Brain fog, confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Digestive problems including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Dissociation and dissociative identity disorder
- Difficulty concentrating
- Eating disorders and disordered eating
- Emotional detachment, feeling unlovable or unable to love
- Fatigue
- Fears and phobias
- Feeling agitated, edgy or fidgety
- Feeling disconnected from others or the world
- Feeling like you don’t ‘fit’
- Feeling down, sad or hopeless
- Feeling unsafe
- Fibromyalgia
- Flashbacks (which might be audible, visual or body sensation)
- Grinding your teeth, jaw or toothache
- Hypervigilance, constantly looking out for dangers
- Insomnia and other sleep difficulties
- Isolation
- Lashing out (physically, verbally or emotionally)
- Low self-esteem/self-worth
- Memory problems
- Muscle tension
- Nightmares
- Obsessive/compulsive thoughts or behaviours (OCD)
- Revisiting or avoiding the situation where the trauma happened
- Self-harm
- Sexual difficulties, including poor libido, erectile problems, and vaginismus
- Shame and guilt
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Suicide and suicidal thoughts
- Tachycardia (racing pulse) and palpitations
- Tinnitus
- Tics & involuntary movements
Symptoms can appear immediately after the trauma or decades later and can last from days to decades if left untreated.
When to seek help
If you are experiencing trauma symptoms more than one month after the event, you will most likely need help to overcome the trauma and heal.
You might think that your trauma was too small to worry about. After all, other people have survived much worse things. But trauma doesn’t work like that. Even a thorn prick can turn septic. So it is with the mind: even a ‘small’ trauma can cause significant harm.
Trauma treatments
There are many treatment options for those experiencing psychological trauma, including:
- Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM)
Each form of treatment has its advantages and disadvantages, and all can be highly effective.
Drug treatments, such as antidepressants, are generally ineffective in treating trauma.
Self-help for psychological trauma
If you have recently experienced a traumatic event or are awaiting trauma treatment, you might find some of the following helpful. However, if you continue to experience trauma symptoms more than one month after the trauma, you will likely need specialist help.
Maintain social contact
It is also too easy to drop off the radar after a traumatic incident. But connecting with others, and maintaining those connections, is essential for healing. Try to develop a strong support network, including friends and family.
Watch what you eat
Healthy eating is always important, but even more so after a trauma. You might find you have a poor appetite or turn to comfort eating. Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet, even if you don’t want to.
Keep active
Our minds and bodies are inextricably linked, and when one suffers, the other often suffers too. So, it’s vitally important that you maintain your physical health, and getting outdoors and connecting with nature can be particularly beneficial.
Keep up your hobbies
Continue to participate in the activities you previously enjoyed, even if you don’t feel like it. Doing so will remind you of who you are and help you reconnect to real life.
Establish a routine
Keeping to a routine will help you remain grounded. It can also help you feel more like ‘you’ and less like a victim.
Manage your sleep
Trauma often disrupts our sleep patterns. It might be that physical discomfort or troublesome thoughts are keeping you awake. Or it could be that sleep numbs you, so you’re sleeping a lot more. Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule and practise good sleep hygiene.
Practice mindfulness or other relaxation techniques
Try mindfulness or other relaxation techniques to calm yourself and bring much-needed stillness into your life. Even basic breathing exercises can make a big difference.
Avoid drugs and alcohol
It can be tempting to use cannabis, drugs or alcohol to block out trauma symptoms. However, while these might seem to help in the short term, they are unhelpful in the longer term and will not heal your trauma.
Getting further help
If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, your GP might be able to refer you for treatment on the NHS. Alternatively, you might consider working with a therapist in independent practice.
If you would like to speak with someone about how you are feeling, please call us on 0151 329 3637, email enquiries@counselling-matters.org.uk or complete our online referral form. We look forward to hearing from you.
