At one time or another in a person’s life, they will experience or get exposed to a traumatic event. A traumatic event comes in various ways, such as violence, severe injury, sexual violation, accidents, and many other shocking events. Whenever a person is exposed to a traumatic event, that person will begin experiencing traumatic stress. This is a normal human reaction to abnormal events. Remember, a person can experience traumatic stress by simply witnessing a traumatic event.
In the days or weeks after a trauma, it is common for a person to have a spell of unpredictable physical and emotional symptoms. The symptoms include:
– Flashbacks
– Sleeping related problems
– Anger
– Intrusive thoughts
– Alert irritability
– Feeling sad and nervous
– Trouble feeling positive emotions
– Nightmares
– Avoid other people
– Thoughts associated with the traumatic event
The good news is that these symptoms get better with time. However, some people get intense symptoms to a point where it interferes with their day-to-day activities and becomes a problem for the symptoms to go away. Such a person may develop severe stress disorder that comes with extreme symptoms that interfere with their daily tasks. Some people may develop PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder). Anyone diagnosed with PTSD will have symptoms that will interfere with their daily life and, in most cases, last more than a month after the traumatic event.
Dealing With Traumatic Stress
There are several effective ways to deal with or/and treat the effects of traumatic stress. Psychologists and other industry researchers have found the following actions may work: –
- i) Rely On Loved One – It is Wise to identify your friends and family about your situation and ask for support. If you are ready to talk about the traumatic event, then you may talk to them about your feeling and experience. You can ask your family to help you with some tasks or obligations if you cannot handle them. Doing this will help you eliminate some life stresses.
- ii) Face Your Feelings – It is quite normal for a person to avoid thinking about the traumatic event. However, it is not wise (in fact, highly discouraged) to leave the house, isolate yourself, sleep all the time, or use a substance like alcohol or/and drugs to escape the feelings. Although avoidance is a normal action for people to take, too much of it is poisonous (it will prolong your stress and healing process).
iii) Slowly try to go back to your normal routine – With the help of those close to you (family and friends) or mental professionals, try as much as possible to go back to your daily routine.
- iv) Prioritize Self Care – Self-care is paramount to the healing process. What does this mean? It means eating healthy, getting regular physical activity, and getting a good night’s sleep. Consider looking for other healthy coping habits such as relaxation, meditation, music, art, and others.
- v) Apply Patience – It is normal for a person to react strongly to a traumatic event. However, it does not take a day to recover, and therefore, be patient. As time goes on, the symptoms will gradually begin to improve.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
The good news is that not everyone who has undergone a stressful event needs treatment from a professional. A majority of people recover on their own as time goes on. However, there are those people who will need professional help from a mental health professional like a psychologist. The mental health professional will help you cope with the symptoms.
Therefore, you should seek professional help from ClarityChi with traumatic stress that is interfering with your relationship, work, and other daily activities.
