Psychological trauma is injury to the psyche following a distressing event or frightening experience. This type of traumatic event can lead to poor functioning in daily life and challenges in coping normally.
Many people who experience traumatic events adjust afterwards and temporarily have difficulty with coping, however over time and with good self-care are able to return to functioning normally.
However some struggle, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can result following psychological trauma where certain conditions are met. Some symptoms may include severe anxiety, flashbacks of the traumatic event, uncontrollable and distressing thoughts, and nightmares.
Emotional abuse is a common form of psychological trauma, and may be unrecognized or kept hidden by the person on the receiving end of abuse, for various reasons. Traumatic experiences may include an unexpected or violent death in your life, witnessing a traumatic event, being physically harmed or bullied, or a severe accident are some examples.
Coping With Traumatic & Distressing Memories
The following strategies may be helpful in coping with traumatic memories:
Grounding: Bring your awareness to the present and allow your senses to experience what’s around you e.g. touch the grass beneath you, notice a leaf on the tree branch as the breeze flows by, or allow a piece of chocolate to sit on your tongue and notice its taste.
Emotions – Allow Them To Be: Allow your emotions to be as they are, without resisting or changing them, even the uncomfortable emotions. By trying to push them away or change them, it creates resistance. Sit with the feeling, notice it, and make room for it.
Learn Tapping & Breathwork Techniques: Tapping certain points on your head and body can be helpful in calming anxiety feelings when they arise and shifts awareness to the ‘here and now’. Deep breath inhalations can also be helpful in reducing anxious feelings – breathe deep into the abdomen and exhale out slowly, repeat this several times and notice tension in your body ease. Professional guidance by a psychologist or trained professional may be helpful in showing you these techniques.
Effects of Trauma
Trauma experiences can have a lasting effect, and it’s not uncommon to see people, relationships, and the world differently. Everyone goes through some kind of trauma in their life, but everyone handles it differently.
Several factors can influence how trauma affects your life. The age at which the trauma occurred, the length of the experience, the kind of support you had in your life, and personality traits can all have an impact on how you handled the incident.
Realizing that your trauma doesn’t have to dictate how you live your life is crucial. After a traumatic event, healing is possible.
If a traumatic experience is causing you distress and difficulty coping, a trauma psychologist Adelaide at Adelaide Psychology may help by offering strategies to cope with distressing memories and guide you towards improved functioning.
