How Does Trauma Happen?

Psychological trauma occurs when you experience either a powerful single event or repeated, chronic events that overwhelm your ability to cope. Whether you are traumatized is not necessarily determined by the intensity of the event, but how you subjectively process the event. Traumatic events include:

• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse/Rape
• Assault
• Robbery
• Natural Disasters
• Accidents/Injuries
• Military Duty/Combat
• Bullying
• Torture
• Witnessing a traumatic event happening to others
• Verbal/Emotional Abuse
• Loss of job
• Loss of a relationship

12 Ways That Trauma Can Affect You

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

1.  Nightmares/distressing dreams
2.  Repetitive, intrusive images and thoughts of the traumatic event
3.  Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
4.  Feelings of numbness or being disconnected from your feelings
5.  Not being completely aware of your surroundings (being in a daze)
6.  Feeling detached from reality or yourself
7.  Not being able to recall things from your past including parts of the event
8.  Intense distress when exposed to anything that reminds you of the event
9.  Avoiding things that remind you of the event
10. “Spacing out” or losing time
11. Inability to focus
12. Lack of interest in activities

As a result of trauma, survivors often deal with a broad spectrum of issues including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, substance abuse, addictions and eating disorders.

How Counseling Can Help

In counseling you will learn about the nature and impact of trauma, acquire new coping skills to reduce and/or eliminate your symptoms and begin to resolve your issues. Other goals may include:

• Processing and integrating the traumatic memories
• Gaining insight into how you view yourself, others and the world
• Identifying and changing habitual, destructive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving
• Clarifying your life values and vision
• Resolving spiritual issues resulting from the trauma
• Increasing feelings of self-worth and finding deeper significance to life

If you would like help with this issue, please call Dawn at 443-632-8814 to schedule an appointment.