Trauma Symptoms, Causes, and Effects

Overview

Trauma is defined as a deep physical or psychological injury to the body as the emotional response someone has to an extremely negative event.

While trauma is a natural reaction to a traumatic incident, the consequences can be so severe that it impairs an individual’s capacity to live a regular life. Help may be required in this scenario to address the stress and dysfunction created by the traumatic experience and to return the individual to a state of emotional well-being.

What are traumatic events?

A traumatic event is defined as an experience that produces bodily, emotional, spiritual, or psychological distress.

In certain situations, people may be unsure how to respond or maybe in denial about the impact of such an occurrence. The individual will require assistance and time to recover from the traumatic incident and reestablish emotional and mental equilibrium.

examples:

  • physical pain or injury (e.g. severe car accident)
  • serious illness
  • war
  • natural disasters
  • terrorism
  • witnessing a death
  • rape
  • domestic abuse
  • incarceration within the criminal justice system

How do people respond to traumatic events?

People react differently to distressing circumstances. There are often no apparent indicators, but people might have severe emotional reactions.

Shock and denial are natural reactions to a traumatic situation.

Shock and denial are frequently employed to shield oneself from the emotional consequences of the incident. You might be numb or distant. You might not experience the full force of the incident straight away.

Once you’ve gotten over the first shock, your reactions to a traumatic situation may differ. Typical replies include:

  • repeated memories of the event or flashbacks
  • nightmares
  • intense fear that the traumatic event will recur, particularly around anniversaries of the event (or when going back to the scene of the original event)
  • withdrawal and isolation from day-to-day activities
  • continued avoidance of reminders of the event
  • shifts in mood or changes in thought patterns
  • irritability
  • sudden, dramatic mood shifts
  • anxiety and nervousness
  • anger
  • denial
  • depression that can commonly occur along with traumatic stress
  • difficulty concentrating
  • altered sleeping or insomnia
  • physical symptoms of stress, such as headaches and nausea
  • worsening of an existing medical condition

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing a life-threatening incident or seeing a death.

PTSD is a form of anxiety illness that alters the body’s reaction to stress by affecting stress hormones. People suffering from this illness require a lot of social support as well as a regular therapy.

Childhood trauma

Children, according to research, are more sensitive to trauma because their brains are still developing.

During traumatic experiences, children’s stress levels rise, and their bodies release chemicals associated with worry and terror.

This form of developmental trauma has the potential to alter normal brain development. As a result, trauma, particularly chronic trauma, can have a long-term impact on a child’s emotional development, mental health, physical health, and behavior.

The terror and powerlessness may last throughout maturity. It puts the individual at a much-increased danger. Trusted source for future trauma impacts.

Trauma Drugs: Possible Options

The individual’s psychological and physical background and the severity of the symptoms will influence the drug alternatives. If depression is severe and has been present for a long time, it may be treated with standard antidepressant medications. Any depressed episode lasting more than three months is considered clinical depression. Many trauma patients are anxiety sufferers who are candidates for anti-anxiety medication.

Medication Side Effects

The occurrence of drug side effects is one of the factors to consider when deciding whether or not to medicate for trauma symptoms. Side effects are common with all drugs, and the severity varies greatly depending on the drug class and individual body chemistry. Some adverse effects are more controllable than others, and any negative side effects should always be weighed against the patient’s potential benefit.