the impact of trauma

Trauma can have a powerful and lasting effect on our physical and mental health. We tend to experience immediate reactions to trauma such as fear or anxiety. However, trauma can also disrupt our sleep, can make us more agitated or fearful and even affect the way we behave socially.

Some of these symptoms may reduce after the immediate shock, however some symptoms can be more long-lasting and can even be experienced years after the event if a person is triggered.

There are treatment options available to help a person cope after a traumatic event.

WHAT IS ACCUTE STRESS DISORDER?

In the days and weeks following a traumatic event, you may begin to experience many different emotions or behaviours. A traumatic event might include;

  • Witnessing a death

  • Experiencing or witnessing a threat of death to yourself or others

  • A threat of serious injury

Witnessing or experience such an event can lead to feelings of immense fear, horror, helplessness or even guilt. The prolonged experience of these symptoms can lead to a disorder called, Acute Stress Disorder or ASD. Acute Stress Disorder can develop in the period immediately following a traumatic event and can last up to one month.

SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE STRESS DISORDER

1. INTRUSION SYMPTOMS

Sometimes memories might force their way into your mind without your control and these can be very distressing. A person may experience distressing dreams.

2. NEGATIVE MOOD

A person may feel that it is difficult to experience positive emotions. A constant feeling of being sad, down, or depressed.

3. DISSOCIATIVE SYMPTOMS

A person might feel like they are in a daze, almost like an outer-body experience or that time has slowed.

4. AVOIDANCE SYMPTOMS

A person may avoid people, memories, thoughts or feelings associated with the trauma event.

5. AROUSAL SYMPTOMS

You might find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. You might experience more irritable behaviour. You might find that you have trouble concentrating.

WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychological reaction to the experience of a traumatic event, similar to those events described in Acute Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder develops when a person struggles to recover after a traumatic event and goes on to experience quite severe and long-lasting symptoms.

Several criteria have to be met in order to provide a diagnosis of PTSD. An brief example of the A criterion is below:

Criterion A: Traumatic Event

The traumatic event includes the experience of an actual or threatened:

  • Death

  • Serious Injury

  • Sexual Violence

The experience may be directly related to the person or witnessed by the person. It might also include indirect experiences such as hearing of a relative or close friend who has suffered the event. The experience can also include repeated indirect experiences, such as the constant experience of trauma by police officers or paramedics.

There are other criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACUTE STRESS DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?

The major characteristic that differentiates Acute Stress Disorder from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the period of time that the person has experienced the symptoms.

Acute Stress Disorder is diagnosed when a patient experiences symptoms for between three days and one month.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is diagnosed when symptoms are present for longer than one month.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY

TRAUMA-FOCUSED COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on addressing the symptoms of people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This type of therapy helps an individual identify and cope with emotions, thoughts and behaviours.. Therapy might involve education, relaxation, regulating expression and moods and developing tools to improve thoughts and feelings surrounding the event.

PROLONGED EXPOSURE THERAPY

Prolonged Exposure Therapy is a technique that has been designed to treat PTSD. In order to reduce feelings of anxiety or distress associated with a traumatic event, a person may actively try to avoid thoughts or memories or even people or places that remind them of the event. Prolonged Exposure Therapy provides a safe place for a person to work through the memories and thoughts of the event to reduce symptoms of anxiety and reactions to possible triggers. Whilst this may seem confronting, a therapist will guide a person through this process and provide coping tools along the way.

EMDR

After trauma, people with PTSD often have trouble making sense of what happened to them. EMDR can help process upsetting trauma memories, thoughts, and feelings related to the trauma. By processing these experiences, they can get relief from PTSD symptoms and start to heal. In EMDR, the client will pay attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound while thinking about the upsetting memory long enough for it to become less distressing.

MEDICAL TREATMENTS

This condition may be treated in a similar way to other anxiety disorders by a GP or psychiatrist.

For example, the use of a medication referred to as an SSRI antidepressants are commonly prescribed. An SSRI or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, represents a type of medication that increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the chemicals in our brain that can affect the way we feel and increasing serotonin can help ease symptoms experienced in PTSD.