How Do You Know If You’re Traumatized?

Theword“trauma”seemstobeeverywhere.Theterm’sincreaseincommon usageisapositivesignofmentalhealthawarenessanditsimportancetolivinga healthylife.Butwithsomuchinformationswirlingaround,howdoyouknowif you’retraumatized?Anaccurateunderstandingoftraumacanhelpyouidentify whereyouareandhowtomoveforward.

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How Do You Know If You’re Traumatized? Do You Know If…

Understanding Trauma

Home Trauma How

Traumalooksdierentforeveryperson.It’syourbody’sindividualizedresponse toanextraordinarilystressfulevent,experience,orsetofreoccurring experiencesthatleavesyoustuckinaplacethatcanaectyourmentalhealth andoverallwell beingforalongtime.

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Mostpeoplethinktheywouldknowiftheyaretraumatized.Butit’snotthat simple.Somesignsaremoresubtleorcanhappenlongaftertheeventor experience,makingconnectingthecauseandeectsdicult.

Uncontrollable Thoughts. Do you nd it dicult to redirect your thoughts to your current surroundings and circumstances? Do they spiral to an anxietyridden place where you feel helpless? Trauma can present itself in this way.

One-Time Events. Accidents, life-altering injuries, assault, or an unexpected threat to stability (particularly during childhood) are common events that lead to trauma.

Extraordinary Circumstances. The sudden death of a loved one, a painful breakup, or extreme disappointment can also lead to trauma.

Flashbacks. Do certain sounds, sights, smells, or locations take you back to the incident? Is your daily life disrupted by haunting memories or nightmares?

CAUSES OF TRAUMA INCLUDE:

SIGNS TO BE AWARE OF INCLUDE:

Sincetraumaissuchanintenselypersonalexperience,it’svitaltoknowhowit manifestsitselftodetermineifyouhavelastingtraumaticeects.

Traumaticexperiencesfrequentlyinvolvethreatstolifeorsafetyandtriggera survivalresponse.Oncetheinitialreactionsubsides,peopleexperiencingtrauma areleftwiththefeelingthattheworldisanunsafeplace.

Relentless Stress. This category deals more with everyday life. Living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, battling or supporting someone with chronic illness, racism, being subjected to repeated bullying or abuse, or neglect can induce trauma.

How Do You Know If You’re Traumatized?

Loneliness. Persistent feelings of loneliness and failure are frequent symptoms of trauma.

Overreacting. Do you always seem on guard? Do you startle easily? Do you panic when small things don’t go according to plan? These could be signs of trauma.

Thesecommonsignsandcountlessotherspersistevenwhenyoutrytomove pastthem.Traumatakesawayaperson’ssenseofchoice,saidCarmen Dominguez,ExecutiveClinicalDirectoratIntegrativeLifeCenter.So,shesaid,it’s importantfortreatmenttohelpthatpersonregaincontrolofthemselves.

“Clientsneedtoexperiencetherapeuticrelationshipsthatmakeroomfor authenticityandmutualitywhilefosteringtrauma-informedconsiderationssuch astransparency,collaboration,culturalhumidity,voicechoice,andself-agency,” shecontinued.

Healing From Trauma

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Any strong reaction that doesn’t seem connected to your present life could be an effect of trauma.

CONNECTING

Gettinginvolvedincommunityorganizationscanremindyouofthegoodyoudo andgiveyouasenseofpurpose,andmakingnewfriendscanbroadenyour experiencesandsocialcircle.

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PRIORITIZING SELF CARE

AccordingtoCarmen,there’snoonewaytotreattraumabecauseeveryone’s experienceisdierent.Buttherearesomeproventechniquestohelpyouon yourjourney.

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Healthybodiestendtocopebetterwithtrauma-inducedstressthanthosethat arefatiguedandrundown.Gettingplentyofqualityissleepisanessentialwayto lookafteryourhealth.Traumaticeventscancausesleepdisturbancesthatcan exhaustyourmindandbody.Thisissueonlyexacerbatesyoursymptoms.Tryto gotosleeparoundthesametimeeachnightinadistraction freeenvironment andaimtogetatleastsevenhoursofrest.

Traumacanmakethoseexperiencingitwanttoretreat,leadingtofeelingsof isolationandloneliness.Reachingouttolovedonesforsupportcanbealifeline. Theycanactastrustedcondanteswithwhomyoucanshareyourthoughtsand feelings. Supportgroupswithpeoplewhohavesimilarexperiencescanhelpyoufeelless alone.Theycanalsogiveyouideasforcopingwithyourfeelingsandmovingpast yourtrauma.

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Thegreatnewsisthatthroughtherapeuticrelationshipsandproventechniques, youcanhealfromtraumaandliveahappy,healthylife.

Avoidingdrugsandalcohol,whichpeopleoftenusetomasktraumasymptoms temporarily,canhelplessenyourfeelingofanxietyandisolation.Andeatinga well-balanceddietalongwithplentyofexercisecangiveyouenergyandboost yourmood.

“Therearemanypathstohealing.However,thedestinationtoone’sinheritworth isofmostimportance.Wewanttoguideclientsbacktotheirinheritworth,tothe intrinsicwisdomthatiswithinthem,”Dominguezconcluded.

Treatment At ILC

Ifyouoralovedoneareexperiencingtheeectsoftrauma,ILCisheretohelp. Contactustodaytondoutwhattreatmentoptionsarebestforyou.

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL HELP.

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Thenegativeemotionalaectresultingfromtraumamanifestsitselfinmany ways.Thereisno“typical”responsetoatraumaticeventorexperience.And peopleresponddierentlytothesametraumatichappening.So,ifyouthinkyou maybetraumatized,it’scriticaltoseekprofessionalhelp.Traumaresponseis unlikelytogoawayonitsown.

Ifyoursymptomsdon’teaseandyoucan’tseemtondawayforward,trained professionalsmightbeyourbestpathtorecovery.

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