Recovering from trauma takes time, and everyone heals at their own pace. But if months have passed and your symptoms aren't letting up, you may need professional help from a trauma expert. Seek help for trauma if you're: Having trouble functioning at home or work.
Sometimes, people are able to heal from trauma without the support of professional treatment. Here are some tips on how to take care of yourself after going through a trauma so that you can get closer and closer towards getting back to your old self. Find a Therapist near you here!
Trauma is not physically held in the muscles or bones — instead, the need to protect oneself from perceived threats is stored in the memory and emotional centers of the brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic event(s).
Like a virus in our encoding system, unprocessed traumatic memories can become sticking points that cause our mental and physical processes to malfunction. Early evidence of cellular memory shows that it's not just our brain, but our body's cells that could hold an imprint of past traumatic events.
Practice self-care
Activities like yoga or exercise have been shown to be beneficial in healing from (or at least alleviating) the effects of trauma. Taking on hobbies you're interested in, such as painting, boxing, a dance class or just going for daily walks, can also be part of self-care.
If you can recall times when you've overreacted, and perhaps have even been surprised at your own reactions, this may be a sign of trauma. It's not uncommon for people suffering from emotional trauma to have feelings of shame and self-blame.
Not everyone requires treatment for traumatic stress. Most people recover on their own with time.
Regardless of the extent of the trauma, untreated trauma will manifest in physical, psychological, emotional, and social problems. Many individuals will find that alcohol and drugsrelieve the symptoms experienced, however, over time this could develop into more serious and detrimental issues.
Unresolved trauma puts people at increased risk for mental health diagnoses, which run the gamut of anxiety, depression and PTSD. There are physical manifestations as well, such as cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, stroke or heart attacks.
For some people, the tremors are big movements in the muscles. For others, they are tiny contractions that feel like electrical frequencies moving through the body. TRE® is not painful—in fact, most people enjoy the sensations.
Emotional Trauma Symptoms
Not everyone responds to trauma in exactly the same way, but here are some common signs: Cognitive Changes: Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks of the event, confusion, difficulty with memory and concentration, and mood swings.
Daydreaming. Other subtle signs of trauma are “zoning” or “spacing out.” You might feel disconnected from others or have difficulty staying present in social situations. Emotional trauma can cause you to slow down internally, numbing your emotions or causing you to feel exhausted.
If you're asking why do I feel like my trauma isn't valid, you might be spending too much time comparing your trauma to other's. Some people can handle a single event better than a long-term situation.
The effects of trauma may never completely go away, but we can help make them more manageable.
The normal healing and recovery process involves the body coming down out of heightened arousal. The internal alarms can turn off, the high levels of energy subside, and the body can re-set itself to a normal state of balance and equilibrium. Typically, this should occur within approximately one month of the event.
Silent traumas are the non-fatalities, the muggings, robberies, stabbings, and gang-related incidents that are 120 times more common than the loud traumas. The impacts of silent trauma are much more prevalent, pernicious, and far-reaching than many people realize.”
Trauma happens to everyone.
It can be physical, mental, or emotional. Many do not realize they have had a traumatic experience because most believe “a trauma” is only something dramatic or changes their world entirely.
Smiling is a way to “protect” therapists.
By downplaying their pain they are attempting to minimize the upset they believe they are causing. Laughing while recounting something painful says, “I'm OK, you don't have to take care of me. ' Instead, clients are actually attempting to take care of their therapists.
A traumatic event is time-based, while PTSD is a longer-term condition where one continues to have flashbacks and re-experiencing the traumatic event. In addition, to meet criteria for PTSD there must be a high level of ongoing distress and life impairment.
The answer to this question lies in examining our patterns: our behavioral patterns, our emotions, our thought patterns, our relationships and our persistent, cyclical, recurring issues. Chances are if there is unhealthiness or instability in any of these patterns, there is unhealed trauma at the root.
Treatment for trauma
By concentrating on what's happening in your body, you can release pent-up trauma-related energy through shaking, crying, and other forms of physical release. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you process and evaluate your thoughts and feelings about a trauma.