Daily life is full of routine pressures and unanticipated stressors. But when a stressful incident causes excessive or persistent distress, it’s considered a traumatic event. A traumatic event can be an ongoing threat of serious harm, injury, or even untimely death coupled with a sense of horror, helplessness, or impending doom that doesn’t diminish with time.
As mental health providers specializing in trauma treatment, our seasoned team at EXIS Recovery Inc. understands that traumatic stress can shatter your sense of safety and security, making the world around you feel unpredictable or dangerous.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to gain the upper hand over your trauma response. Here, we explain how a traumatic event can affect your well-being and offer strategies to help you resolve your reactions to a recent trauma.
Whether it’s a serious car accident, a natural disaster, a random act of violence, the upsetting death of a loved one, a sexual assault, or something else, a traumatic event may seem to appear out of nowhere — before becoming an enduring and unwelcome part of your life.
In the wake of a traumatic event, you may find yourself experiencing high levels of emotional, psychological, and physical distress that interferes with your ability to function normally. After the event, you may:
- Remain in a state of high alert
- Feel very stressed, anxious, or upset
- Feel emotionally numb or shocked
- Become more protective of others
- Start fearing what might happen next
In addition to your initial response, your enduring trauma reaction may lead to:
- Mental effects (intrusive thoughts, impaired concentration, disorientation)
- Emotional disturbances (fear, anxiety, panic, alarm, numbness, depression)
- Physical symptoms (fatigue, digestive upset, disturbed sleep, headaches)
- Behavioral changes (social withdrawal, avoidance, substance abuse)
When a trauma reaction is persistent or overwhelming, it can make you feel trapped in the event’s aftermath and leave you more vulnerable to developing mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
Just as it takes time to repair physical damage after a disaster, it takes time to recover the mental well-being and emotional equilibrium you need to move on with your life after a traumatic event.
Taking an active part in the process can help you resolve your trauma on your own terms. To that end, there are many things you can do to improve your coping skills as you work to address your traumatic response. Beneficial self-help strategies include:
- Recognizing that you’ve been through a very distressing experience
- Understanding there’s no right (or wrong) way to respond to trauma
- Accepting that you won’t feel like yourself for a while, and that’s OK
- Acknowledging that these disconcerting feelings will eventually pass
- Expressing your emotions when they arise — don’t hold them inside
- Reminding yourself that you are managing, even when days are tough
By accepting that you can’t control everything — and recognizing that you can learn how to shape and control your response to the events you experience — you’re that much closer to gaining the upper hand over your trauma. Positive concrete actions further support these self-help reminders. When you’re living in the wake of a traumatic event, it helps to:
- Maintain a normal and consistent daily routine; keep yourself busy
- Engage in regular exercise — physical activity eases stress and tension
- Work through everyday conflicts so they don’t exacerbate your stress
- Find ways to unwind and relax; when you’re tired, make rest a priority
- Lean on friends, family, or a clergyperson for understanding and support
- Avoid using alcohol, drugs, or food to blunt or cope with your feelings
- Be kind to yourself; postpone major life decisions until you feel better
It’s also important to gradually face what has happened — don’t try to block out traumatic feelings or memories or avoid certain “reminder” places or activities; instead, confront them as they are, allow yourself to contemplate them, and then put them aside.
Usually, the strong feelings of fear, anxiety, confusion, numbness, helplessness, or despair that emerge after a traumatic event begin to diminish within a few weeks. However, if your traumatic stress reaction is intense, persistent, or disabling, you may want to seek help from a mental health professional. Our trauma specialists can help if:
- You’re having trouble functioning at home or work
- You’re experiencing terrifying memories or flashbacks
- You find it increasingly harder to connect with others
- It’s been over six weeks, and you don’t feel any better
To learn more about the trauma treatment services at EXIS Recovery in West Los Angeles, call 424-832-0848 today, or click online to schedule an appointment with one of our trusted mental health experts any time.
