Trauma Will Happen to Most of Us – the Key Is Managing What Comes Next
Photo by Javier Allegue Barros via Unsplash
Chances are, you will experience at least one trauma in your lifetime.
According to the World Mental Health Survey, 70% of adults have experienced some type of traumatic event – most commonly, witnessing death or serious injury, the unexpected death of a loved one, being mugged, being in a life-threatening automobile accident, and experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury. That number is likely increasing as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be realized.
While that statistic may sound alarming, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will inevitably be traumatized. In fact, less than 10% of people who experience trauma will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. What’s important is how you cope with trauma and manage what comes next.
Just think about all the life transitions that we face, the people we interact with, the places we’ve been, and the impact it has on the functioning of our brain, body, and mind. There may be stress that accompanies each individual experience. A healthy reaction to stress can be to pause, process, address, and move forward. But people respond differently to various stressful events in their lives, and emotional responses to stress are common.
Trauma is when there is a shock to our system, and sometimes we continuously experience the stressor – the brain is repeatedly in fight-flight-freeze mode, and the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The nervous system isn’t always able to self-regulate or discern what is a realistic versus an unrealistic threat.
Experiencing the effects of trauma doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; instead, there is something wrong with the situation or your environment.
“Experiencing the effects of trauma doesn’t mean something is wrong with you; instead, there is something wrong with the situation or your environment. ”
In my experience, I have noted unrecognized trauma symptoms in many of my adult patients dealing with chronic illnesses partially due to a lack of understanding of how trauma manifests. When a patient is admitted to the hospital with obscure, acute symptoms, it understandably triggers a disruption to their pattern of daily functioning. The shock of the diagnosis is what’s known as acute trauma and symptoms can show up continuously over a short period of time – anywhere from days to a month.
In my previous work treating frontline health workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed the impact of persistent trauma, the continuous exposure to a stressor over a long period of time. When unresolved, it can shape someone’s life on a daily basis and result in worsening mental health.
Recovery from trauma is possible for everyone. While psychological resiliency – confronting, coping, and adapting – is the end goal, the first step to recovering from trauma is simply identifying how it currently impacts your life and finding healthy ways to manage those stressors.
Learn More About How to Manage Trauma
How Trauma Shows Up: Identifying Stressors and Building Resilience
Trauma can show up in your life in unexpected ways. From how you respond to stressors, to how you relate to others, to your physical health, traumatic experiences can create a ripple effect in places you may not realize, especially if left unaddressed.
Octave therapists Samantha Hill, LCSW, and Emily Moore, LCSW, will help you:
Identify types of trauma and stress
Understand how trauma may be impacting your life in unexpected ways
Recognize the consequences of unresolved trauma
Learn ways to cope and thrive
Where: Virtually on Zoom
When: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Time: 4-5 p.m. Pacific / 7-8 p.m. Eastern