I feel traumatized

Perhaps the current events, and the way the world is dealing with them, have affected you greatly. These events may have caused you to develop symptoms of psychological trauma, whether it is mild or severe, you can start dealing with these feelings early to avoid them escalating. By nature, as a person, you have strength, struggle, and courage in you, and you can help yourself, and those around you, but what is psychological trauma? And why does it occur? How can you get out of it? Let's get to know about it more.

Psychological Trauma and Its Causes

It is a psychological condition in which a person endures as a result of being exposed to a traumatic event, injury of self or others, that may provoke sadness and pain, causing him to develop an emotional wound leading to an abnormal state. This condition may last for several weeks to months. For example, with the current outbreak of COVID-19, it is causing people all over the world to experience psychological trauma.

There are Five Stages of Trauma:

 

First Stage (Denial)

It is when your mind fails to respond to unwanted and unpleasing news. Your heart finds it difficult to accept and adapt to the new situation. In the denial stage, a person feels as if he is dreaming that he will wake up from the dream one day and things will return to the way they were, whether it be the end of a relationship, death, or loss of a loved one or the afflicted with a calamity and disease.

Second Stage (Anger)

It is anger mixed with sorrow and hatred, and he can express itself in different ways, perhaps he is angry at himself, or from things, or from others.

Third Stage (Bargaining)

"I will do anything until this goes." "I will give my savings to the poor if ...", "I will pray and do good things if it is gone." Here the person clings to the hope that he can retreat in some way or avoid the cause of sadness, offering to negotiate the possibility of changing what he is facing.

Stage Four (Depression)

“Nothing is worth it.” “I am finished, so what is the benefit?” “What can I do?” The person enters into a cycle of frustration, turns away from life, work, interests, and others, and everything becomes meaningless in his view. He then resorts to silence and confines himself. The importance of this stage lies in the fact that a person begins to recognize reality, and considers the first stage of changing his personality and perception of life. Finally, he begins to accept them and prepares for whatever comes afterward.

Fifth Stage (Acceptance)

“Things don’t look that bad.” “Maybe it’s for the best.” The individual begins to reconcile with what happened and searches for options available to him. He draws new plans for life and feels more secure. This stage reinstates calmness and psychological stability to the individual. He then accepts the reality of what has happened. Acceptance is a stage where one learns to live reality and be able to move on in life, adjusting to change.

You might have a question ...

Does this happen in one stage or at a specific circumstance?

Trauma occurs in stages depending on the type and level of difficulty of the event exposed and how it has impacted on you. 

 

​How can you know?

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1. Most people with trauma experience the following psychological symptoms:

  • Hyper-vigilance: the person remains alert to any danger.

  • Avoiding anything that reminds the person of the event that triggered the trauma.

  • Forgetfulness.

  • Loss of confidence in yourself or in others.

  • Think negatively about yourself or others.

  • Emotional numbness and separation from others.

  • Difficulty focusing on reality, recalling some memories.

  • Chronic sleep disorder.

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2. People with trauma may also experience the following physical symptoms:

  • Increased heart rate (palpitations).

  • Anxiety and panic attacks.

  • Afflicted with an illness or injury.

  • Feeling tired and lethargic.

  • Chronic fatigue 

  • Sexual dysfunction

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If you feel that you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, then it is highly important to treat them as early as possible in order to prevent these symptoms from worsening.

Mobile Applications of your interests

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Websites that may be of interest

Stages of PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

For reassurance... Tell Us Your Story

As human beings, we experience difficult situations that can destabilize us and find it difficult to adapt to new challenges. The factor that helps us overcome this emotion is our belief that these situations do not last forever and will eventually depart and the hope that your affairs will be resolved. The moment you realize that you are not alone in this challenge and that there are others, possibly people who have gone through worse situations compared to yours, you, therefore, develop an alternative perspective of your difficulty and feel better about yourself, believing that you can make it through the emotional storm. 

Help us by sharing your story of how you are experiencing the outbreak of the coronavirus so that others can feel assured and learn from your inspirational experiences of how you have withstood this pandemic. 

 

Your story can truly make a difference!