Traumatic Stress – What Is It and How to Heal?

It’s World Mental Health Day, and our collective need for health and healing is painfully evident.

With the horrific events in Israel and Gaza over the weekend, trauma is everywhere in the news. If you turn on the television or open your phone, you are flooded with images and accounts of unspeakable violence and brutality. We witness it and may even experience it. But what exactly is trauma? And what can be done about it?

What is trauma?

Psychology Today defines trauma this way: “Trauma is a person’s emotional response to a distressing experience. Few people can go through life without encountering some kind of trauma. Unlike ordinary hardships, traumatic events tend to be sudden and unpredictable, involve a serious threat to life—like bodily injury or death—and feel beyond a person’s control. Most important, events are traumatic to the degree that they undermine a person’s sense of safety in the world and create a sense that catastrophe could strike at any time.”

Terrorism and war create collective trauma

Trauma can be individual or collective. Some trauma is caused by natural disasters. Other kinds of trauma are human-created, sometimes explicitly for the purpose of wounding others.

The Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Responding to the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism explains in its report, “Terrorism is intended to provoke collective fear and uncertainty. This fear can spread rapidly and is not limited to those experiencing the event directly—others that are affected include family members of victims and survivors, and people who are exposed through broadcast images. Psychological suffering is usually more prevalent than the physical injuries from a terrorism event.”

Common reactions and responses to trauma

People react to and respond to trauma in a variety of ways, says the National Center for PTSD.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), “Following a traumatic event, people frequently feel stunned, disoriented, or unable to integrate distressing information. Once these initial reactions subside, people can experience a variety of thoughts and behaviors.” The APA lays out some common responses:

• Intense or unpredictable feelings. You may be filled with anxiety, overhelm, or grief. You might feel more on edge or moody than usual.
• Changes to thoughts and behavior patterns. You might experience vivid, repeated memories of the event – even out of the blue – which may be accompanied by rapid heartbeat or sweating. You might find it hard to concentrate or make decision. Sleeping and eating can be affected – some people have difficulty doing either while others overeat and oversleep in response to traumatic events.
• Sensitivity to environmental factors. Sirens, loud noises, or other environmental sensations can trigger stress responses, heightened anxiety, and fear that the stressful event will reoccur.
• Stress-related physical symptoms. You may experience headaches, nausea, and chest pain that could require medical attention.
• Strained interpersonal relationships. You might find yourself in increased conflict with family, friends, or colleagues. Alternatively, you might become withdrawn or isolated from your usual social circle and activities.

How to cope with traumatic stress

Thankfully, psychologists and researchers have found there are effective ways to cope with and treat traumatic stress. The APA offers these suggestions:

• Lean on your loved ones. Friends and family can be sources of support. If you are ready, you may share your feelings and experiences. You can ask others to help you with the daily tasks of life to relieve stress.
• Face your feelings. While it’s normal to want to avoid dwelling on a traumatic event, isolating yourself from others physically and emotionally or using substances to escape reminders of trauma are not long-term healthy coping mechanisms. Avoidance is normal, but too much can prolong your stress and prevent healing. Try to ease back into your normal routine gradually. Support from a mental health professional can be immensely helpful.
• Prioritize self-care. Fuel your body and mind well with nutritious food, regular movement, and sleep. Spend time in nature. Art, music, meditation, and rest can also provide healthy ways to cope.
• Be patient with yourself. It’s totally understandable to have a strong response to a distressing event. Take it a day at a time. You’ll gradually discover your symptoms improving.

Treatments for traumatic stress

Psychologists can offer evidence-based interventions to help you cope with and heal from traumatic stress.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach first designed to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or terrorism. It’s now used to treat people who have experienced any sort of trauma. PFA is rooted the idea that distress is absolutely normal after a traumatic event. Rather than treating that stress like a disorder, this approach provides support and assistance, informing people about stress reactions and coping strategies, with the goal of reducing distress and improve coping as well as short-term and long-term functioning.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is another evidence-based treatment for traumatic stress among many other psychological disorders. It helps people learn to change unhelpful thoughts and behavior patterns. The World Health Organization recommends trauma-focused CBT to address the symptoms of acute traumatic stress in adults. Research suggests that people who receive trauma-focused CBT may be less likely to develop chronic PTSD.

In addition, treatments have been specifically developed to help children and adolescents who have been exposed to trauma or adverse childhood experiences such as neglect or abuse. Some are family-based, involving the child’s parents or caregivers in the treatment process.

Therapy can be a powerful tool in coping with and healing from trauma.

Read the full article at the American Psychological Association.

Psychology Today explains the basics about trauma.

Learn more about the psychological consequences of traumatic events, disasters, and terrorism.

Photo by Louis Galvez on Unsplash