Trauma can be experienced after a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. The emotional response after such a trauma can manifest itself in a number of ways, both physical and psychological. Once the initial shock of the situation subsides, it’s not unusual for a person to have long-term reactions, including these identified by the APA:
- unpredictable emotions
- flashbacks
- strained relationships
- headache and nausea
- trouble sleeping or eating
Sometimes people respond to a trauma and its after effects with denial – choosing to or subconsciously believing that there is no on-going problem even as they suffer from the above-mentioned reactions or others, like sleeplessness, nightmares, anxiety attacks, and many other unexpected reactions.
There are a number of different kinds of trauma. At LifeLens Psychological and Counseling Services, we treat patients who generally have experienced one of these three types:
- Victimization (trauma from physical or sexual abuse)
- Chronic Trauma (or multiple instances, which may include post traumatic stress disorder)
- Event Trauma (from a shocking occurrence)
It is not uncommon that someone who has suffered a trauma will react with anxious feelings and other symptoms, but in those cases where those emotions or their physical counterparts keep you from moving on, help is available.