Behavior of a woman after a traumatic life. Emotional symptoms of psychological trauma

Such a concept as psychological trauma, unfortunately, has a place to be in a modern civilized society. Not a single person on earth is immune from the blows of fate and is far from always protected from injustice and cruelty.

Experiencing some unpleasant event in life, the grief of losing a loved one, betrayal by relatives and friends, the consequences of a serious illness, or simply being under the impression of terrifying events, each person is subjected to emotional experiences and stress, as a result of which psychological trauma may occur. Violence against a person, suppression of will, blackmail, threats, humiliation of human dignity, and other events, circumstances, as well as someone's actions that force him to experience long-term fear, depression, depression lead to such a deplorable result. AT Everyday life this may apply to men suffering from sexual impotence.

Similar moments in people's lives at the same time cause them completely different and unpredictable reactions. One bright tragic event in the life of a child, for example, can leave a scar in his memory and affect his mental health and emotional state.

Varieties of psychological trauma

The concept of "psychological trauma" in medicine and psychology has long been known and thoroughly studied. At the moment, it can be attributed to provocative factors, disease-causing such a plan. Psychotraumas even have their own classification, subdivided into types:

sharp;
shock;
chronic.

The first two forms are characterized by short duration and spontaneity. As for the third, chronic form, the situation here is much more complicated. Such psychotrauma is of a protracted and long-term nature, accompanied by constant impact on the psyche of a person who, due to certain circumstances, is forced to undergo pressure that causes irreparable harm to his health. It can be an unsuccessful marriage, a dysfunctional family, constant blackmail.

A person can experience mental trauma as a result of realizing his helplessness and powerlessness in front of circumstances. It can also be caused by constant fear for the lives of loved ones, the inability to take control of the situation and direct it in the right direction. Psychologists have noted the similarity of psychological trauma with stressful situations. At the same time, one can observe how, previously calm and balanced, a person becomes nervous, vulnerable and vulnerable.

It is mainly the personal and personal perception of a tragic event or stress that plays a role here. It is the attitude to the event, both emotional and physical health are fundamental in this case.

similar incidents for different people may have different consequences, and it is not at all necessary that they turn out to be traumatic: for someone, despite all the tragedy, the situation may not be reflected and perceived as an unfortunate misunderstanding.

By the way, adults are several times more likely to develop consequences after psychotrauma than children.

According to experts, not only cases and tragic events are important, but also a person’s inner personality warehouse, stress resistance, and their own beliefs formed in the process of education. Phenomena such as stress or psychotrauma can cause not only a negative nervous shock, but also an emotional outburst of any kind, although this happens much less frequently.

As an example, we can consider such a case when one of the family members, who had long been considered killed, returned home, or a poor man who eked out a semi-beggarly state suddenly turns out to be the heir of a millionaire. All these events have a common similarity: they fall out of the usual chain. And the fact becomes especially sad when, instead of positive, a person is subjected to psychological trauma.

However, these phenomena cannot be attributed to psychotraumas of a chronic type, which are precisely characterized by the presence of hopelessness and the subconscious expectation of the opposite turn of events or the search for an opportunity to adapt to the situation.

Back to index

Symptoms of psychological trauma

Psychological trauma refers to pathologies and deviations bordering on illness, therefore this phenomenon has its symptoms. Moreover, they are clearly divided into two main subgroups:

emotional;
physical.

Signs of psychological trauma related to the first group are expressed in jumps and mood swings. Patients are characterized by apathy, indifference to ongoing events, giving way to attacks of uncontrollable rage or hidden irritation. Such people may experience unreasonable feeling guilt, accompanied by a feeling of uselessness and lack of demand. Very often they lose faith in people, withdraw into themselves, stop communicating with acquaintances and friends, considering themselves abandoned and excluded from life and society.

Patients often experience fear and anxiety, often developing into phobias, and then replaced by apathy and a feeling of complete loneliness.

As for the physical symptoms, they include insomnia, which entails a decrease in immunity, weakening the human body and making it vulnerable to various diseases, including colds. For people who do not receive good rest during a night's sleep, they do not have time to recover strength and mentally.

In such patients, exacerbations of already existing chronic diseases, cardiac disorders, accompanied by attacks of fear and anxiety, are often noted. Pathological processes may also affect the functional features of the gastrointestinal -intestinal tract. Such people tire quickly, experiencing constant severe weakness throughout the body. They periodically experience debilitating headaches, confusion of thoughts, weakening of concentration and memory.

A clear symptom of psychotrauma on physical level is a constant muscle tension, in which it is almost impossible to enter a state of relaxation. To get rid of this kind pathologies do not always succeed on their own.

AT recent decades the concept of "psychological trauma" has become very fashionable. Children's psychotraumas in adults today explain everything - from failures in personal life before bad habits. What is psychotrauma and how dangerous is it?

Psychological trauma or psycho-emotional trauma is the harm that is caused to the psychological health of a person as a result of the influence of stressful or acutely emotional adverse factors on the psyche. That is, this is an experience that has had a long and adverse effect on the human psyche.

Psychological trauma is a relatively new concept in psychology. For the first time, psychologists began to talk about it at the end of the 19th century, but only in the 20th century was psychotrauma officially “recognised” by the scientific community. AT scientific work Reshetnikova M.M. “Psychic trauma” analyzes in detail the history of the concept, substantiates its relevance and main methods of treatment.

Psychological trauma can occur due to physical impact, a situation in which the life and health of a person is in danger, or due to a strong, negative emotional experience. People who served in the army and / or visited the combat zone often develop a combat mental trauma, which is not always possible to cope with on their own.

Psychotrauma, affecting the psyche healthy person, upsets her, disrupting the normal interaction of a person with environment. As a result, a person experiences constant discomfort, which he himself may not be aware of, but it negatively affects his worldview, socialization, adaptability, relationships, and so on.

Psychological trauma is especially dangerous for children and adolescents. At this age, a negative experience can leave a deep imprint in the psyche, which in the future will cause the development various violations. Request: how to get rid of childhood psychological trauma is one of the most popular today, but people do not always understand exactly what they need.

So it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of "mental" and "psychological" trauma. Mental is more severe damage received by the human psyche. Its results are usually immediately noticeable - a person cannot behave in the usual way, his psyche needs treatment and restoration. An example of such a state can be stupor, hysteria or neurosis, and the subsequent - panic fear heights, fear even for a while of losing sight of a loved one, stuttering, and so on.

Psychological trauma is less traumatic and its consequences are less noticeable. Often such a person cannot say when and what exactly happened, what events caused the development of discomfort. So, if the child's parents filed for a divorce, psychological trauma can only manifest itself after several decades, when a person is unable to build a strong relationship with anyone.

Causes of psychotrauma

To say exactly what exactly can cause psychological trauma in each specific case, impossible. The strength of the influence of certain factors on the psyche specific person depends on many factors: the type of psyche, its resistance to traumatic events, personal attitude to what is happening, and so on.

Psychological trauma in childhood can be experienced both much more acutely and much easier. So, for one child, a strong thunderstorm, which he had to endure alone, in his room, can become the cause of psychological trauma, while the other will not even pay attention to it. Psychologically significant for different people can be big dog, which passed nearby or a spider that fell on its head while walking in the park.

Therefore, it is impossible to predict in advance what exactly can cause injury in a child or an adult. There are reasons that cause the development of psychological trauma in most cases and risk factors that increase the risk of developing such injuries in a person.

Childhood psychological trauma can occur due to:

Death or serious illness of loved ones
own serious illness
Physical or mental abuse
Divorce, loss of a parent
Violation of interaction in the family
physical punishment
Immoral behavior of adults
Overprotection or lack of attention from adults
Deception and betrayal
Conflict at school or among peers
Bullying at school or family (taunting, bullying, deliberate bullying)
Traumatic event (car accident, fire, etc.) childhood psychotrauma can occur even when watching a TV show or hearing a story about something like that.

In adults similar condition may be caused by the same or similar factors:

Death or loss of a loved one
Divorce or loss of a loved one
Conflict at home or at work
Physical or psychological abuse
Serious illness, injury
Deception, betrayal, destructive relationships.

Psychological trauma in childhood can become one of the risk factors for its development in the future. It also increases the risk of emotional trauma. neurological diseases emotional instability, drinking alcohol, endocrine diseases, chronic diseases internal organs, constant stress and overwork.

In childhood and adulthood, this condition can develop in almost anyone, so everyone needs to know how to overcome psychological trauma. This will help maintain your mental health and the health of your loved ones.

Types and symptoms

It is quite difficult to determine that a person has a psychotrauma, he leads a normal life, is quite successful and satisfied with himself, and does not even want to change anything in his life. But at the same time, if you do not work with psychological trauma, then its consequences can greatly worsen the quality of a person’s life, cause failures in his personal life, provoke the development of neurosis or depression.

Psychological trauma is manifested by 2 types of symptoms: emotional and physiological.

emotional symptoms may manifest themselves in different ways. Someone experiences lifelong fear in certain circumstances, others cannot establish relationships with their family or be afraid of making a career without understanding why this is happening.

The consequences of psychological trauma may appear immediately after it or after several months or even years.

In "acute" psychological trauma, the main emotional manifestations will be:

Apathy
Feeling of worthlessness
Reluctance to communicate with anyone
Anxiety
Fear of something
Tearfulness, irritability
Inability to focus on something.

These symptoms are usually mistaken for signs of fatigue or depression and usually wait for them to go away on their own. But if a person has recently experienced a strong emotional shock, and his condition does not normalize, it is better to contact a specialist who will accurately diagnose.

Physiological symptoms:

Weakness, decreased performance
Sleep disturbance
Dizziness, headaches
Violation of the heart
Jumps in blood pressure
Exacerbation of chronic diseases
Decreased immunity.

Types of psychological trauma

There are many classifications of psychological trauma. The most popular are:

By type of traumatic agent - loss of a loved one, family conflict, and so on.
By duration - acute, protracted, chronic.

How to get rid of psychological trauma

Answer the question: “how to cope with psychological trauma?” quite difficult. Psychologists today offer a wide variety of methods - from finding out the cause and “returning” to the past in order to “work through” it, to methods of correct behavior in those situations in which a person experiences some kind of difficulty. There are no universal methods that help everyone and from everything. Each case requires its own approach and its own methods of therapy. The type of treatment, its duration depends on the type of trauma, for example, combat mental trauma requires more difficult treatment, perhaps taking antidepressants or long-term observation by a psychotherapist.

Recognize the problem - realize that there is some kind of trauma in your past and its consequences hinder you today.
Understand exactly what the trauma is.
Allow yourself any feelings - there are no "right" and "wrong" feelings. Most people find it difficult to allow themselves to resolve negative feelings, they try to "give up" them, to convince themselves that they do not feel this way. Knowing that you can feel any feelings can often help you deal with trauma.
Give yourself the opportunity to experience any feelings - often psychological trauma occurs in the place of "unlived" feelings and emotions. By allowing yourself to cry, scream or swear, you can get rid of emotional stress and help your mind.

Psychological trauma (short designation - psychotrauma) is a theoretical construction used to name some harm caused to the psycho-emotional state of a person.

The essence of psychological trauma

To date, there is no single definition of this term and there are no clear criteria by which it is possible to differentiate psychotrauma from other harmful factors. However, most people, including professional psychologists, use the term “psychological trauma” to mean that some psycho-traumatic event has taken place in the life of an individual, or that the person is affected by some external or internal factors that cause damage mental health or depriving of peace of mind.

Due to such fuzziness and vagueness in the definition, many academic minds refer the term "psychological trauma" to pseudo-scientific, everyday concepts, preferring to use a more precise construct: "a condition that arose as a result of a traumatic event and exposure to stressful or frustrating factors."

It should be noted that psychological trauma is inherently fundamentally different from the phenomenon of "psychic trauma". The concept of "psychic trauma" refers to real, objectively confirmed harm delivered to the psyche by someone or something, which caused a malfunction in the functioning of the psyche, which led to dysfunction of the higher nervous activity person. Consequence of mental trauma - noticeable, clearly pronounced violations normal functioning of the psyche. For example: a person has "gaps" in memory, he ceases to recognize relatives, cannot clearly and logically express his thoughts, loses the ability to evaluate, analyze, compare phenomena of reality.

Psychological trauma does not bring such catastrophic consequences for the psyche. The person remains capable and adequate. He retains a critical view of his condition. After a psychological trauma, an individual is able to adapt in society. Changes determined in the emotional, volitional, cognitive, mnestic sphere of the psyche are not global, dynamic and reversible. In fact, the defects that have arisen in the psyche, for example: the inability to concentrate or, are a reflection of an unstable or oppressed psycho-emotional state and not a consequence of destructive lesions of the psyche.

The concept of "psychological trauma" also includes long-acting mild adverse circumstances, and sudden intense negative factors absolutely any content. However, hypothetically, these phenomena can cause mental illness, manifested both in a change in the emotional background, and in the appearance of abnormal behavior in a person who is objectively recognized as mentally healthy. Due to the lack of clear criteria, any event that caused a strong emotional reaction of a negative color can be interpreted as a psychological trauma.

It is suggested that psychological trauma can initiate the development border states psyche, the formation of disorders of the neurotic level, including:

anxiety-phobic (obsessive fears);
obsessive-compulsive (and ritual actions);
conversion (hysteria);
asthenic ();
affective (depression).

However, in this context, the concept of “psychological trauma” is identical to the result of an intolerable (stressful) situation, that is, it is a state of overload of the mental regulation system. It is in connection with this that the main consequences of psychotrauma are observed: harmony in the inner world of the subject disappears, the balance between the personality and the human environment is disturbed.

The phenomenon of "psychotrauma" has achieved the greatest study and distribution in the framework of the study of the causes and manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder. Adepts of crisis psychology, who have put forward and study the pathogenetic mechanisms of this pathology, interpret the term "psychotrauma" as a mental shock experienced as a result of special conditions interaction between the individual and the environment. Attempts have been made to describe the signs, causes and criteria of psychological trauma, which will be discussed later.

Causes of psychological trauma

Among the likely circumstances that can cause psychological trauma are the following reasons.

Group 1

Any one-time critical event that occurs suddenly, which the individual interprets as a strong blow. Examples of such crises are situations in which a person was physically injured:

own sports, domestic, professional injury, which caused the loss of normal functionality of the body;
car accident that caused severe consequences for good health;
unexpected need for surgery;
serious viral or bacterial infection chained a man to a bed in the intensive care unit;
an attack by intruders associated with physical injuries;
injury or injury associated with the performance of professional duties (for example: burns received by a firefighter during the elimination of a source of ignition);
severe deterioration in health natural disaster or military action.

Group 2

The causes of psychological trauma lie in unforeseen changes in the habitual way and conditions of a person's life, status and position in society. Examples of such situations are:

death of a close relative;
rupture of relations with a loved one;
divorce from a spouse;
job loss;
the need to change the scope of activity;
robbery, theft, fraudulent activities, as a result of which the person lost her means of subsistence;
rape;
unpredictable debts;
forced change of living conditions or change of place of residence;
unexpected, accidental problems with the law (for example: hitting a drunk pedestrian).

Group 3

The cause of psychological trauma can also be chronically acting, which are significant in the individual, subjective perception of the individual. Examples of such "prolonged" stresses can be:

imprisonment;
severe somatic illness;
conflicts in the family;
living with a drug addict spouse;
unfavorable psychological atmosphere at work;
disagreements with superiors, colleagues and subordinates;
problems of a sexual nature;
overwork and lack of rest.

However, it should be clarified: no matter what global difficulties and mental suffering a person experiences, stress does not necessarily provoke a psychotrauma.. In order for stressors to become psychotraumatic factors, the following conditions must be met.

Factor 1

Psychological trauma is characterized by the obsessive nature of memories: a person constantly mentally returns to the event, analyzes the circumstances, sees the present through the prism of a negative phenomenon. However, it is impossible to precisely separate: when a negative perception of the world is the result of a psychotrauma, and when it is a personality trait - in most cases it is impossible.

Factor 2

Personal involvement: the individual cannot separate himself from the traumatic event. A person is not able to distance himself from the problem, to look at the situation from a different perspective, while maintaining calm and composure. That is, the individual identifies his personality with negative phenomenon. However, such involvement cannot be unequivocally interpreted as an indicator of psychotrauma: many people simply do not have sufficient psychological knowledge and every little thing is interpreted as a personal drama.

Factor 3

The event that happened causes serious changes in the psycho-emotional status and interferes with the natural process of self-development and self-improvement. In fact, the problem stops a person at the previous stage of development or returns to a more low level. However, a halt in development and a passive attitude towards life are characteristics of quite a few people. Therefore, this factor also cannot be unambiguously interpreted as a criterion of psychological trauma.

Other factors that can potentially cause psychotrauma include:

the person was not mentally prepared for a specific scenario;
the person felt his own powerlessness and could not prevent such a course of events;
the crisis was deliberately provoked by the surrounding people;
the individual came into contact with insensitivity, cruelty, violence, betrayal on the part of those people from whom he did not expect such actions;
the phenomenon required colossal expenditures of psychic energy.

All of the above allows us to assert that psychological trauma is not a description of a specific episode, it is an indication of the presence of an acute emotional reaction of an individual to an event. That is, the more suffering, fear, helplessness a person feels in some situation, the more catastrophic this psycho-traumatic event becomes for him, respectively - more risk development of psychological trauma.

Signs of psychological trauma

What signs can inform that a person has developed a psychological trauma of a relationship? Since psychotrauma is neither a disorder, nor a syndrome, nor a disease, but a very vague concept, no specific symptoms of this crisis can be singled out. However, numerous surveys of people who have described that they are experiencing psychological trauma show that there are certain experiences, changes in the areas of the psyche and behavior, which are mechanisms for responding to distress. At the same time, a person does not react to a crisis: “right” or “wrong”, but feels, thinks, acts differently from the usual way, showing a wide range of various symptoms.

Signs of psychological trauma include:

feeling of loss of one's own safety and belief in the presence of a threat;
experiences of impotence, helplessness;
the emergence of an irrational obsession;
the emergence of ideas of self-accusation and self-abasement;
emergence of self-destructive life scenarios eg: suicidal ideation or alcoholism;
denial of the event;
feelings of resentment, anger, rage;
debilitating melancholy, a feeling of hopelessness;
inability to concentrate, absent-mindedness;
inability to think of anything else as a crisis event;
loss of desire to act;
inability to enjoy the objectively pleasant phenomena of life;
voluntary complete seclusion from society;
global experience of loneliness, abandonment, uselessness.

The fact that a person has experienced a psychotrauma can be informed by:

sleep problems: insomnia, intermittent sleep, nightmares;
change in eating habits: obsessive overeating or complete refusal of food;
vegetative signs: pressure surges, palpitations, tremor of the limbs, profuse sweating;
appearance pain syndromes psychogenic nature;
lack of logic in the actions of the individual, haste, fussiness, inconsistency;
inability to perform usual work due to difficulty concentrating;
fatigue, irresistible fatigue even after prolonged leisure;
tearfulness, intense reactions to the smallest stimulus;
restlessness, desire to run somewhere;
loss of interest in the opposite sex.

Treatment of psychological trauma

With psychological trauma, the statement is true: time - the best doctor. Indeed, over time, the experienced grief loses its relevance, the person returns to the usual rhythm of life. However, for many contemporaries, the process of recovery from psychological trauma is very difficult. Or instead of the desired finding of balance, a person receives already real neurotic or mental disorders requiring treatment.

All people without exception who have experienced a traumatic situation should seek medical help if the experience of psychotrauma lasts more than three months. Unambiguous signals about the need for treatment are:

depressed state and melancholy mood;
thoughts about the futility of life and ideas about death;
obsessive fear of loneliness;
total fear of death;
irrational anxiety, anticipation of an imminent catastrophe;
insomnia or insomnia;
uncontrolled outbursts of aggression;
chronic pain in the absence of an organic disease;
loss of strength and other manifestations of asthenia;
sexual dysfunction;
seizures;
signs of anorexia or bulimia;
psychosensory disorders: and;
pronounced lapses in memory;
motor excitation;
violation of social adaptation;
the emergence of obsessive behaviors.

It is necessary to urgently begin the treatment of psychological trauma if a person demonstrates suicidal behavior, harmful addictions have developed: alcoholism, substance abuse, uncontrolled intake of pharmacological agents.

Depending on the essence of the psychological trauma, the symptoms demonstrated, the stage of development neurotic disorder the method of psychotherapeutic treatment is chosen. Good results in the treatment of the consequences of psychotrauma show:

cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy;
gestalt therapy;
neurolinguistic programming;
psychosuggestive therapy;
methods of provocative therapy.

It should be borne in mind that in a state an individual cannot render himself needed help. Therefore, in times of crisis, adequate, competent, targeted assistance from an experienced specialist is extremely important. The insidiousness of psychological traumas lies in the fact that their consequences can be noticeable not instantly, but after decades. At the same time, the depth of the impact of stress factors may lie outside the sphere of consciousness, and the presence of a real problem may be invisible to a non-specialist. Psychological assistance, and if necessary, treatment, will allow you to overcome psychological trauma more quickly and minimize the risk of developing a dangerous mental disorder.

Article rating:

The most common signs of mental trauma:

1) The presence of a traumatic, tragic event experienced in an objective or subjective state of helplessness or horror, or aggravating living conditions that negatively affect a person for a long time.

2) Recurring, sudden memories of what happened (nightmares, flashbacks). Sometimes memories are fragmentary: smells, sounds, bodily sensations, which at first glance have nothing to do with the experience.

3) Avoiding anything that resembles or may resemble the trauma. For example, an adult who was beaten under a blanket as a child may be afraid to ride in an elevator, because in an enclosed space it becomes difficult for him to breathe and there is an almost physical sensation of pain and horror. The position of avoidance often increases over time.

4) Increased excitability and shyness. Any new situation requires a lot of effort to adapt, causes severe anxiety even if not related to trauma. Autonomous nervous system, which regulates the vital functions of survival in humans, is in constant readiness for alarm. It is like a motor running at all speeds and not having traveled a meter.

These four features form a picture of a disorder that externally expresses itself as an anxiety disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event.

Psychic trauma manifests itself in the form of a violation of the integrity of the functioning of the human psyche, when a significant part of the mental material is displaced or dissociated, the result is internal splitting. Trauma violates the normative mental organization and can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders non-psychotic (neurosis) and psychotic (reactive psychosis) types, named by Jaspers - psychogeny.

Here we are talking about borderline or clinical conditions, which are characterized by both a steady weakening of immunity, working capacity and adaptive thinking abilities, as well as more complex changes (post-traumatic effect with justification) that are harmful to health, social life person leading to psychosomatic diseases, neuroses. Psychogeny is considered as mediated by the whole personality (at the conscious and unconscious levels) the formation of experience during the development of pathological forms of psychological defense or their breakdown.

Due to the fact that mental trauma entails, in its own way, some pathological adaptation of the body in the form of building excessive psychological defenses, traumatization can contribute to disruption of the relationship between the psyche and the body. So that the latter simply “ceases to be felt”, which ultimately leads to a loss of connection with reality. Psychotherapy effectively helps to restore this connection.

Work with trauma is aimed at completing the traumatic reaction, discharging the remaining energy and restoring disturbed self-regulation processes. Often trauma survivors are accompanied by high degree bodily tension, which may be poorly realized. In an attempt to cope, a person, defending himself from fear, loses control over his body and psyche by suppressing, repressing his feelings. Free verbalization, awareness and response of feelings contribute to healing. There is a deep acceptance of what was not previously accepted - traumatic experiences, attitude to the consequences of what happened get the opportunity not to be suppressed, but to transform. A new attitude is developed towards the traumatic event and towards oneself. Psychotherapy allows you to assimilate this difficult experience and integrate it into your picture of the world, to develop new adaptation mechanisms for later life, taking into account the past trauma.

Lewin considers trauma as an existential reality of human existence, its being, which must be accepted, experienced and transformed for the benefit of oneself and one's life.

If you have gone through a traumatic experience, you may be being overcome negative emotions, unpleasant memories or a sense of constant danger. Or you feel abandoned, do not feel support and trust in people. After a trauma, it takes time to process the pain and regain a sense of security. And with the help psychological help, self-support systems, support for others, you can speed up the recovery process. No matter when the traumatic event happened, you can recover and move on with your life.

What is emotional and psychological trauma?

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of stress, the strength of which turned out to be excessive for the psyche. As a result, a person loses a sense of security, experiences impotence and helplessness.

Traumatic experiences are not always accompanied by physical impact. This is any situation in which you experience overstress and helplessness. And this is not some specific concept, but your personal emotional reaction in response to an event. The more horror and helplessness you experience, the more likely injury.

Causes of emotional and psychological trauma

An event is most likely to cause injury if:

It happened unexpectedly.
You weren't ready for it.
You felt powerless to prevent it.
The event happened very quickly.
Someone deliberately mistreated you.
It happened in childhood.

Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by a one-time event, such as an accident, a natural illness, or a violent episode. Or maybe long-term stressful effects: living in domestic violence, in the neighborhood with criminal elements, suffering from cancer.

The most common examples of traumatic events are:

Sports and household injuries.
Surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life).
Sudden death of a loved one.
Car accident.
Breaking meaningful relationships.
A humiliating and deeply disappointing experience.
Loss of functionality and chronic severe illness.
Risk factors that increase your vulnerability to traumatic events.

Not all potentially traumatic events lead to emotional and psychological trauma. Some people recover quickly from a severe traumatic experience, while others are wounded by something that at first glance is much less shocking.

People who are already under the influence of stress factors, as well as those who have suffered something similar in childhood, have increased vulnerability. For them, what happened becomes a reminder that provokes re-traumatization.

Childhood trauma increases the risk of future trauma.

Experiencing childhood trauma has a lasting effect: such children see the world as a frightening and dangerous place. And if the trauma is not cured, then they endure feelings of fear and helplessness in adult life becoming more vulnerable to injury in the future.

Childhood trauma occurs when any event violates the child's sense of security:

Unstable and dangerous environment;
Separation from parents;
Serious illness;
Traumatic medical procedures;
Sexual, physical and verbal abuse;
domestic violence;
rejection;
bullying;
Symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma.

In response to a traumatic event and re-trauma, people respond different ways that appear a wide range physically and emotional reactions. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to respond to a traumatic event: feel, think, and act. Therefore, do not blame yourself and others for certain actions. Your behavior is normal reaction to abnormal event.

Emotional symptoms of trauma:

Shock, rejection, loss of faith;
rage, irritation, mood swings;
Guilt, shame, self-blame;
Feelings of sadness and hopelessness;
Confusion, impaired concentration;
Anxiety and fear;
Closure;
Feeling abandoned.

Physical symptoms of injury:

Insomnia and nightmares;
fearfulness;
palpitations;
Acute and chronic pain;
Increased fatigue;
Violation of attention;
Fussiness;
Muscular tension.

These symptoms and feelings typically last from a few days to several months and disappear as you move through the trauma. But even when you feel better, painful memories and feelings can still surface - especially at such moments as the anniversary of an event or a reminder of a sight, sound and situation.

Mourning is a normal process after injury.

Whether or not the death was included in the traumatic event, the survivor is faced with the need to grieve at the loss of at least a sense of security. And the natural response to loss is grief. Just like those who have lost loved ones, trauma survivors go through a process of mourning. This is painful process in which he needs the support of other people, there is an acute need to talk about his feelings, to develop a strategy for self-support.

When should you seek help from a specialist?

Recovery from injury takes time, and everyone does it at their own pace and in their own way. But if months have passed, and your symptoms do not go away, then you need to see a specialist.

Seek professional help if:

Your affairs at home and at work are collapsing;
You suffer from anxiety and fear;
You cannot be in close relationships, you are afraid of intimacy;
Suffer from sleep disturbances, nightmares and flashbacks of traumatic memories;
More and more avoid things that resemble trauma;
Emotionally withdrawn from others and feel abandoned;
Use alcohol and drugs to make you feel better.

How to identify the right specialist?

Dealing with trauma can be frightening, painful, and provoking retraumatization. Therefore, it should be carried out by an experienced specialist.

Do not rush to the first one that comes across, spend a little time searching. It is important that the therapist has experience working with traumatic experiences. But the most important thing is the quality of your relationship with him. Choose the one with whom you feel comfortable and safe. Trust your instincts. If you do not feel safe, understood, do not feel respected, then find another specialist. It is good when there is warmth and trust in your relationship.

After meeting with a specialist, ask yourself:

Did you feel comfortable discussing your problems with a specialist?
Did you have the feeling that the therapist understood what you were talking about?
Which of your problems were taken seriously, and which ones were given the least amount of time?
Did he treat you with respect and compassion?
Do you believe you can restore trust in your relationship with this therapist?

Treatment of psychological and emotional trauma

In the process of healing psychological and emotional trauma, you must face unbearable feelings and memories that you have been avoiding. Otherwise, they will come back again and again.

During trauma therapy:

processing traumatic memories and feelings;
discharge of the "fight or flight" stress response system;
learning to regulate strong emotions;
building or restoring the ability to trust people;
Key moments recovery after emotional and psychological trauma.

Recovery takes time. No need to rush yourself to live and get rid of all the symptoms and consequences. The healing process cannot be spurred on by an effort of will. Allow yourself to experience different feelings without guilt or judgment. Here are some tips on how to help yourself and your loved ones.

Self-Help Strategy #1: Don't Isolate

From trauma, you can fall into isolation from people, but this will only make it worse. Connecting with other people will help the healing process, so make an effort to support your relationship and not spend too much time alone.

Ask for support. It is important to talk about your feelings and ask for the support you need. Reach out to someone you trust: a family member, a colleague, a psychologist.

Participate in social activities, even if you don't like it. Do "normal" things with other people that have nothing to do with the traumatic experience. Restore relationships that you broke off due to trauma.

Find a support group for trauma survivors. Contact with people who, like you, have experienced a similar condition, will help reduce your sense of isolation and understand how others are coping with their condition.

Self-Help Strategy #2: Stay Grounded

Being grounded means being in touch with reality while remaining in touch with yourself.

Continue to do your normal activities - regular walks, sleep, food, work and sports. There must be time for relaxation and communication.

Break work tasks into small pieces. Praise yourself for even the smallest accomplishments.

Finding things that make you feel better and keep your mind busy (reading, cooking, playing with friends and animals) will help keep you from drifting into memories and traumatic experiences.

Allow yourself to experience the feelings that come up. Notice your feelings that come up in connection with the trauma, accept and support their appearance. Think of them as part of the mourning process needed for healing.

Body grounding: self-help principles.If you feel disorientation, confusion, sudden strong feelings, do the following:

Sit on a chair. Feel the floor with your feet as you lean on it. Press your buttocks on the chair, feel the support at this point. Feel how your back rests on the chair. Regain your bodily sense of stability.
Look around and choose 6 objects of different colors, look at them - bring your attention from the inside out.
Pay attention to your breathing: take a few slow and deep breaths and exhalations.

Self-help strategy #3: Take care of your health

AT healthy body processes of mental recovery proceed more actively.

Watch your sleep. Traumatic experiences can disrupt your normal sleep patterns. And the consequences of sleep disturbance - aggravate the course traumatic symptoms. Therefore, go to bed every day at the same time, preferably before 12 o'clock at night, so that sleep lasts 7-9 hours.

Avoid alcohol and drugs because they always worsen the course of traumatic symptoms, provoking depression, anxiety and isolation.

Go in for sports. Regular exercise raises levels of serotonin, endorphins, and other mood-enhancing substances. They also boost self-esteem and promote sleep regulation. For the desired effect, 30-60 minutes a day is enough.

Eat a balanced diet. Eat small meals often throughout the day. This will help you maintain desired level energy and reduce mood swings. Smaller simple carbohydrates(sweet and flour), because they quickly change the composition of the blood, which affects mood. More vegetables, fish, grains.

Reduce the influence of stress factors. Focus on rest and relaxation. Master relaxation systems: meditation, yoga, tai chi, breathing practices. Make time for activities that bring you pleasure - a favorite hobby or leisure with friends.

Help for those experiencing emotional and psychological trauma

Of course it's hard when your close person suffers from a traumatic experience, but your support can be a key factor in his recovery.

Show patience and understanding. Recovery from emotional and mental trauma takes time. Be patient with the recovery process because everyone has their own speed. Do not judge the reactions that your loved one has: he may be temporarily short-tempered or, on the contrary, closed, but show understanding.

Offer practical help to get your loved one back to normal daily activities: shopping, chores around the house, or just being available to talk.

Do not push with offers to talk, but just be available. Some people find it difficult to talk about what happened and don't insist that they share if they don't want to. Simply indicate your willingness to talk and listen when they are ready.

Help to relax and return to socialization. Offer to play sports or relaxation practices together, look for friends with interests and hobbies together, do things that can give them pleasure.

Don't take reactions personally. Your loved one may experience rage, emptiness, abandonment, and emotional distance. Remember that this is the result of trauma and may not have anything to do with your relationship.

Helping a child with trauma

It is very important to communicate openly with a traumatized child. Despite the fact that there is always fear and a desire not to discuss a painful topic. But then you leave the child isolated in his experiences. Tell him it's okay to feel bad about the traumatic event. That his reactions are normal.

How do children respond to emotional and mental trauma? A few typical reactions and ways to deal with them:

Regression. Many children try to return to early age where they were safer and felt cared for. Smaller children begin to wet the bed and ask for a bottle. Older people are afraid to be alone. It is important to be careful and respectful of such symptoms.
Take the blame for the event. Children younger than 7-8 years old think that they are to blame for what happened. And this may be completely irrational, but just be patient and repeat to them that they are not to blame.
Sleep disorders. Some children have difficulty falling asleep, while others often wake up and see scary dreams. If possible, give the child a soft toy, cover him, leave a nightlight on. Spend more time with him before bed, chatting or reading. Be patient. It takes time for sleep to return to normal.
Feeling of helplessness. Discussing and planning actions that can prevent similar experiences in the future can help here, engaging in goal-oriented activities helps regain a sense of control.