Finding Healing from Trauma

Types of Trauma

The concept of trauma can be divided into three categories: acute trauma, chronic trauma, and complex trauma.

Acute Trauma

• Acute trauma, also known as shock trauma, originates from a single unexpected and distressing event, provoking intense emotional reactions within three to 30 days following its occurrence. Acute trauma can emerge from a range of situations, including natural disasters, accidents, violent assaults, and unexpected deaths.

Chronic Trauma

• On the other hand, chronic emotional trauma stems from prolonged or repetitive events, leading to sustained emotional responses. This type of trauma keeps the body in a heightened state of alertness. Examples of chronic trauma sources encompass domestic abuse, witnessing the abuse of a loved one, community violence, and chronic illness.

Complex Trauma

• The third type of trauma is complex trauma. This is what happens when someone has multiple chronic trauma experiences. Complex trauma can be very dangerous, as it can create long-term physical and mental issues.

Finding Support

After you experience a traumatic event, your friends and family can offer you support, as can professionals.

Let your family and friends know that you have gone through a traumatic experience, and that you will need their support and understanding to cope and recover, and that it may be weeks, or even months, before the effects of this experience have diminished. It’s important to also let them know you may be experiencing some of the following feelings and behaviors:

• Increased anxiety or fear
• Short temper or irritability
• Nightmares and sleep problems
• Confusion and/or short term memory loss
• Physical aches and pains
• Difficulty making decisions
• Tendency to withdraw
• Fear of being alone

It’s also a good idea to inform them that your behavior may be different for a little while as you cope with the experience. You can offer them suggestions on ways to help you, including:

• Be patient – don’t just tell me to think positive
• Listen and try to understand my feelings
• Ask how you can help
• Temporarily take over some of my responsibilities
• Help me feel safe again(ex: Drive me to work, help me feel safe by installing new safety precautions at home such as door locks, run errands with me, or just spend some extra time with me.)

A Deeper Level of Support

A traumatic event can trigger memories of other unrelated traumas, such as an illness, injury, or the past death of a loved one. If you are having other traumatic memories, tell someone. Your friends and family can only help if they know what you are dealing with. If your feelings or behaviors are changing or getting worse, let someone know so they can support your needs.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your friends and family, or if you need more help than they can offer, you should reach out to professionals by calling the EAP. Connecting with a skilled counselor through resources like your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can be an invaluable step toward recovery. Medication may also play a role in balancing brain chemicals to alleviate stress responses and enhance sleep quality. Combining counseling and therapy with appropriate medication can greatly enhance the healing process.

By seeking professional help and exploring resources, individuals living with acute and chronic trauma, as well as trauma disorders, can find solace in knowing they are not alone on their journey toward healing and restoration.