Introduction
Trauma may affect everyone differently, whether it is one time, multiple times, or a long-lasting repetitive event. The impact of trauma may be minute, moderate, or destructive. This impact depends on various factors. The traumatic stress reactions also vary from one person to another.
What Is Trauma?
Traumatic events are those that put an individual into serious harm or death. During a traumatic event, one gets frightened and feels unsafe.
Trauma may happen due to
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Accidents, violent attacks, and natural disasters.
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Other reasons are childhood or intimate partner abuse, long-term disease, or due to COVID-19, like pandemic diseases.
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Living in an unsafe environment.
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Watching others getting hurt.
When trauma affects, the individual shows an automatic survival mechanism and responds. There is no control of an individual on this mechanism. Trauma may affect people of any age, gender, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. It may affect both adults and children.
Trauma may affect the individual in the following ways.
Due to trauma, the individual may get,
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Frightened.
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May feel under threat.
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Feel humiliated, rejected, and abandoned.
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May feel unsafe, unsupported, and invalidated.
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Feel powerless, either trapped or ashamed.
Ways trauma may happen include,
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One-off or an ongoing process.
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Direct harm to an individual.
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Observing other person being harmed.
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Experiencing a traumatic atmosphere every day.
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Getting affected by trauma in the family or community.
Trauma may influence the identity of the person harassed, bullied, or discriminated against.
Other Traumas Include:
Racial Trauma: Racism may cause some effects that may influence how individuals think, feel and behave. Affected persons may show symptoms due to this type of trauma.
Adverse Childhood Experiences ( ACEs): Some children may experience stressful and difficult situations like physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect. Many researches have shown evidence for the link between ACEs and mental and physical problems.
There are various types of reactions can be observed during trauma.
Fight: To fight the situation, being defensive and protesting.
Flight: Escape or run away from the situation.
Freeze: The individual is not able to make decisions or is unable to move.
Fawn: Individual tries to win or please the person hurting.
Flop: The individual may become unresponsive, fainting, or disconnected from the body.
Some of the physical changes during trauma include
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Fast heartbeats.
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Racing thoughts.
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Fast breathing.
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Vomiting.
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Hands become cold.
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Trembling.
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Lightheadedness and vertigo (loss of balance).
These signs and symptoms prepare the individual to react to danger or trauma. Some people get back to normal within half an hour of the event. For some, these feelings may continue for long periods. Some may get stuck in danger even after the threat has passed. They may relive the event through flashbacks, panic attacks, anger, guilt, upset, and problem sleeping.
Trauma may lead to mental health problems. It may cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some may start using alcohol and drugs, or harm themselves, to cope with difficult situations. Depending on how the person is affected by trauma may pose difficulties in daily life.
What Are the Effects of Trauma on Mental Health?
Trauma may affect the individual, family, and even the person's community. Some may lead a life without lasting negative effects after the trauma but some face difficulties and experience traumatic stress reactions. If the person has a strong support system and resilient qualities, they may not get affected mentally.
Common Effects of Trauma on Mental Health:
Flashbacks: These make the individual like reliving the aspects of traumatic events. They may feel as if the event is happening now. It may happen whether the details are remembered or not by the individual.
Panic Attacks: It is the response of an individual showing fear. The responses to danger or trauma may become exaggerated in panic attacks.
Dissociation: The individual feels numb and feels the world is not real. This is one way to cope with stress.
Hyperarousal: The individual may feel anxious, find it difficult to relax, and may look out for danger or threats.
Sleep Problems: The individual finds it difficult to stay asleep, feels unsafe, and fears nightmares.
Low Self-esteem: The person may not value self and perceive self.
Grief: Many people experience grief after a loss or a traumatic event.
Self-harm: Individuals may hurt themselves to cope with the traumatic event.
Suicidal Thoughts: Along with suicidal thoughts, the individual may plan suicide methods.
Alcohol or Substance Misuse: The individual may misuse alcohol and other substances to cope with traumatic events.
Self-blame: Individuals affected feel as if they are to blame. This may create shame or guilt though the individual is not responsible.
Trauma and Physical Health Problems:
Trauma may lead to physical health problems that may include chronic illness. Trauma affects both the body and mind. Hence long-term illnesses may develop. These physical health problems may create stress and anxiety and pose difficulty in coping with the trauma.
Other Effects of Trauma:
The effects of trauma generally last for a long period, or it may come and go. There may be difficulties in carrying out the day-to-day activities.
The affected individual may face the following-
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Difficulty in looking after self.
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A problem in holding a job.
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Regarding trusting others.
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Maintaining friendships and relationships may take time and effort.
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Difficulty in remembering and making decisions.
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Problems in their sex life.
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Face problems with changes occurring in life to get adjusted.
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Difficulty in passing leisure time.
Some individuals may face serious problems in their ability to work due to trauma.
Conclusion
Trauma may pose problems in an individual’s life. A person’s quality of life gets affected, and they may suffer from many physical and mental health problems. Hence it is important to know about trauma and its effects on mental health. Knowing helps to seek help from healthcare providers early. Early diagnosis leads to effective treatment, which helps to provide a good quality of life.
