More about trauma – what is it?

Trauma and adverse experiences are things that each and every one of us is likely to experience at some point in our lives. They can be thought about as events that happen which are distressing, frightening and stressful. Psychological trauma can be thought about in relation to events that have happened to us, and/or how we’ve been affected by certain experiences.  

Traumatic events can happen at any age and can affect us all in different ways. They can make us feel like we aren’t in control, we feel unsafe and can find it difficult to trust other people, the world around us, or even ourselves. Trauma often makes us question the safety of the world around us, so we can feel on edge much, if not all of the time. Trauma can affect anybody; we are all human. 

Do thoughts pop into your mind when you least expect them? Do you try to avoid them, block them and push them as far away as possible, just for them to rear their ugly head again time and time again? Are you having nightmares or flashbacks (images/sounds/smells etc of events that have happened in the past?) - You might be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children experience post-traumatic stress, just as we do as adults, but they are often unable to properly express what is happening to them. You may notice sleep has changed, they are having frequent nightmares, they are more clingy to adults, wanting to avoid certain places, or are behaving more recklessly. 

This is something that we can explore together, but PTSD is indicated when symptoms haven’t settled a few months after a traumatic experience, including:

• Recurring memories or thoughts about the event, repeated upsetting dreams, flashbacks and strong physical reactions to the event e.g. fast heart, tight chest, nausea.

• Choosing to avoid going to places that we associate with the traumatic event, avoiding other people and conversations relating to the traumatic event, and avoiding our own thoughts, feelings and physical sensations related to the event.

• Thinking negatively about ourselves, others or the world, blaming ourselves or others, feeling detached from other people, losing interest in activities and struggling to feel positive emotions.

• Constantly feeling ‘on guard’ or ‘on edge’, struggling to concentrate, startling easily, acting without thinking (which can sometimes put us in risky situations), feeling irritable, acting more aggressively than we usually would, and struggling to sleep.

• Children experience similar symptoms and may additionally become more clingy, be more difficult to console, startle easily, feel frightened in new places and behave irritably or impulsively.