About Trauma

Sometimes we experience difficult and frightening situations that leave us feeling affected and distressed. The can happen whilst we are children or can be more recent. Many people try to get past these experiences as best as they can, but sometimes we are affected so deeply we need a little help.

Events that feel traumatising can be ones where we feel:

• unsafe or frightened
• humiliated
• ashamed
• powerless, helpless or invalidated
• abandoned or rejected

Trauma can affect different people in different ways and sometimes different people can have different reactions to the same event. Sometimes it is a reaction to a single event but it can also be on-going harmful events. It can involve being harmed directly, fearing that you will be harmed, or hearing about or witnessing harm to others.

If you have experienced trauma you may find yourself:

• remembering and re-living the difficult event or events in a way which feels distressing
• trying to avoid thinking and talking about it
• experiencing changes in your sleep or having nightmares about it
• feel frightened, startled or on-guard
• losing interest in activities or withdrawing

You may notice other changes to your thinking or the way you feel such as:

• negative thoughts about yourself or others
• a feeling of dread or hopelessness
• feeling emotionally numb or disconnected
• feeling irritable or angry
• feeling sad or hopeless
• thinking about harming yourself or having suicidal thoughts

Sometimes these feelings and thoughts can stop us from seeking help and support. However, no matter what you have been through and how it is affecting you, there’s no need to suffer alone. There are many forms of treatment that have been found to be effective in helping those who have experienced trauma.