What is a traumatic event?
Traumatic events are powerful and upsetting incidents that intrude into daily life. They are usually defined as experiences which are life threatening, or where there is a significant threat to a persons physical or psychological wellbeing. They may be one-off horrifying ordeals such as an accident, assault or natural disaster, or they may be ongoing events which undermine a person’s sense of safety and wellbeing.
Situations and events that can lead a person to experience psychological trauma include:
- Acts of violence such as an armed robbery, war or terrorism
- Natural disasters such as bushfire, earthquake or floods
- Interpersonal violence such as rape, child abuse, or suicide of a family member or friend
- Involvement in a serious motor vehicle or workplace accident.
Other less severe, but still stressful, situations can also trigger traumatic reactions in some people.
What are the signs of psychological trauma?
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. Trauma may also occur over a long period of time, for example exposure to violence and abuse.
Below is a list of symptoms associated with trauma. They can be described as physical, cognitive (thinking), behavioural (things we do) and emotional.
| Physical |
Excessive alertness, on the look-out for signs of danger |
| Cognitive (thinking) |
Intrusive thoughts and memories of the event |
| Behavioral |
Avoidance of places or activities that are reminders of the event |
| Emotional |
Fear |
As long as they are not too severe or 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.
How Seed Psychology Can Help You
Contact Seed Psychology for an appointment if symptoms resulting from the trauma are too distressing or last for more than a couple of weeks. If this is the case you could benefit from making an appointment with one of our highly experienced psychologists in the area of trauma and recovery.
Tips on managing psychological trauma
There are several things you can do to look after yourself and promote recovery from a traumatic event or situation. The following points provide some general advice.
Recognise that you have been through a distressing experience and give yourself permission to experience some reaction to it.
Don't be angry with yourself for being upset.
Remind yourself that you are not abnormal and that you can and are coping.
Avoid overuse of alcohol or other drugs to cope.
Avoid making any major decisions or big life changes.
Do not try to block out thoughts of what has happened. Gradually confronting what has happened will assist in coming to terms with the traumatic experience.
Don't ‘bottle up' your feelings - share your experiences with others when opportunities arise. This may feel uncomfortable at times, but talking to understanding people that you trust is helpful in dealing with trauma.
Try to maintain a normal routine. Keep busy and structure your day.
Make sure you do not unnecessarily avoid certain activities or places.
Allow yourself time to rest if you are feeling tired, and remember that regular exercise is important.
Let your friends and family know of your needs. Help them to help you by letting them know when you are tired, need time out, or need a chance to talk or just be with someone.
Make time to practise relaxation. You can use a formal technique such as progressive muscle relaxation, or just make time to absorb yourself in a relaxing activity such as gardening or listening to music. This will help your body and nervous system to settle and readjust.
If the trauma that you experience stirs up other memories or feelings from a past unrelated stressful occurrence, or even childhood experiences, try not to let the memories all blur together. Keep the memories separate and deal with them separately.
Express your feelings as they arise. Whether you discuss them with someone else or write them down in a diary, expressing feelings in some way often helps the healing process.
