What is trauma, its symptoms and treatment | Black Therapist NJ

What is trauma?

Trauma is a psychological response that we have to an event which we find very stressful. Things like being a part of an accident, natural disasters or experiencing a warzone can have a traumatic effect. That’s why trauma can lead to a multitude of emotional response and even physical responses.

What types of trauma are there?

The first one is acute trauma, which appears when you experience either a dangerous or very stressful event. Then we have chronic trauma, which appears from prolonged or repeated exposure to stressful events. These include things like domestic violence, bullying, child abuse and so on. And then we have complex trauma, which results from exposure to a variety of traumatic events. Secondary trauma appears when you develop trauma symptoms due to being in close contact with a person that has traumatic events.

Trauma symptoms

Every person experiences different kinds of trauma, and because of that symptoms can differ quite a bit. But there are some common symptoms that you will notice from time to time as well.

Physical responses like having a jumpy feeling, fatigue, sweating, racing heart, digestive symptoms and headaches. There are also people that experience hyperarousal.

Psychological and emotional responses can include things like a lack of concentration, irritability, shame and confusion, depression, anxiety, fear, anger, denial, feeling numb, a sense of guilt.

What events can lead to trauma?

As we mentioned above, war and bullying are some of the major reasons why people experience trauma. And then we have sexual assault or abuse, traffic accidents, being kidnapped or attacked, a sudden loss of a loved one, a life-threatening illness, childbirth and natural disasters, among many others.

Diagnosing trauma

Trauma diagnosis can have its fair share of challenges too. You can compare your symptoms to the criteria shared by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. You should also try and undergo a psychological evaluation, just to make sure everything is ok and that there are no problems to deal with.

Is there any way to treat trauma?

Yes, there are various solutions you can use for treating trauma. The best one is therapy, since it can help identify what’s wrong and then you can implement everything appropriately for the best possible results. Cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic therapy or eye movement reprocessing and desensitization can be very efficient for trauma treatment.

Medication is also an option, especially if you combine it with therapy. It helps manage sleep problems, depression and other relevant situations. Of course, you also need to focus more on things like self-care. Exercising, socialization, having a balanced lifestyle and avoiding drugs or alcohol is very helpful. You also

want to relieve stress with exciting, enjoyable activities too. It’s also ok to ask support from others, as even talking about the things you feel with people you trust can help quite a bit.

Conclusion

Trauma can be very problematic for any person’s life. That’s why you need to find the ideal ways to deal with trauma for the best results. It’s definitely not going to be simple, but handling trauma properly can deliver amazing results and prevent many problems. Use the right treatment as an advantage, and you will be amazed with the benefits.