Symptoms

Many events may cause a traumatic response. Some trauma is caused from abuse. Other events that may be traumatic include accidents, injury, medical diagnosis, animal attacks, natural disasters, war and witnessing violence.

A traumatic event involves an experience or repeated experiences that overwhelm the individual's ability to cope or integrate the ideas, emotions and physical responses involved with that experience.

After a trauma a variety of symptoms might simply not go away including any of the following:

body

PHYSICAL REACTIONS

  • Nervous Energy, jitters, muscle tension
  • Upset stomach
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Dizziness
  • Lack of energy
  • Teeth grinding
  • Feeling out of touch with your body
mental reactions

MENTAL REACTIONS

  • Changes in the way you think about yourself
  • Changes in the way you think about other people
  • Heightened awareness of your surroundings
  • Lessened awareness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Intrusive images
  • Nightmares
emotional roller coaster

EMOTIONAL REACTIONS

  • Fear, inability to stay safe
  • Sadness, grief, depression
  • Guilt
  • Anger, irritability
  • Numbness
  • Inability to enjoy anything
  • Loss of trust
  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Emotional distance from others
  • Intense or extreme feelings
behaviour

BEHAVIOURAL REACTIONS

  • Becoming withdrawn or isolated from others
  • Easily startled
  • Avoiding places or situations
  • Becoming aggressive
  • Change in eating habits
  • Restlessness
  • Increase or decrease in sexual activity

Whether or not you experienced trauma and/or abuse recently or in childhood, professional counselling can help .... It is never too late.