PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA
Newspapers, television and radio tell us almost daily about
the terrible things that may happen to us, such as crime,
disaster and serious accident. In some countries the risk
of being involved in such events is very high, but in Britain
it remains relatively low. Despite the low risk, fear of
crime can be very high, especially amongst the vulnerable
of our society, for example the elderly and women. Such
fear can be very disabling and can stop people from living
a contented and fulfilling life even though they may not
have been directly involved in a traumatic incident.
All of us during our lives encounter painful events, for
example, illness or the death of a loved one. Most people
feel some distress when these things happen. Many people
manage to overcome their distress quickly, while others
take some time to re-adjust. There is a big range in the
time it can take people to adjust to these upsetting events
and some people need help to regain a sense of normality
in their lives.
The following concentrates on exceptionally traumatic events,
such as suffering a violent attack, being raped, witnessing
a violent death, or being in a major accident or disaster
- like a sinking ship or an earthquake.
One of the things that makes these things so difficult
to cope with is the very fact that they are so rare. For
a short tune afterwards people rightly see it as natural
to feel upset. Their friends and relatives can usually understand
this from their own experiences of more common difficulties.
However, some people, even doctors, nurses and other professionals,
find it difficult to accept just how severe and prolonged
some of the psychological difficulties can be.
RESPONSES TO PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA
Most of us would recognise feelings of shock, numbness and
distress when something traumatic happens to either ourselves
or those around us. These normal feelings usually reduce
over a period of weeks. However, for a significant proportion
of trauma survivors these feelings do not go away and may
persist for many months, or even years, after the event.
It is hard to say when such reactions become abnormal, but
people usually find they need help when their symptoms persist
and interfere with their everyday life.
WHAT ARE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS THAT MAY FOLLOW
TRAUMA?
People may suffer from a variety of symptoms following a
traumatic event. For example they may feel anxious, sad,
irritable, guilty, angry or aggressive. The picture may
be complicated by grief if someone close to them died in
the incident.
Symptoms commonly include those of depression such as having
difficulty sleeping, poor appetite, weight loss, feeling
that there is no hope for the future, losing interest in
hobbies and other previously enjoyable past-times. Some
people find that they suffer from ‘panic attacks’,
in which they may have difficulty in breathing, a pounding
heart and sweaty palms. Others develop phobias (fears of
specific things and /or situations) and they may also find
that it is difficult to go outside or to be in a confined
space.
Some health care professionals call these symptoms, a ‘post
traumatic stress disorder’ (PTSD) which simply means
a special type of anxiety state triggered by psychological
trauma.
WHEN SHOULD HELP BE SOUGHT?
Most people find that within a few months their symptoms
have reduced and that they feel a lot better and do not
need to find help. But others find that their symptoms do
not resolve and that they do need help to get back to how
they were before the traumatic event.
Information Courtesy of:
ASSIST
Assist is an organisation dedicated to offering support,
understanding and friendship to individuals and families
affected by Trauma
The Penthouse
11 Bank Street
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 2QE
Tel : 01788 551919
Helpline : 01788 560800
Email : assist@traumatic-stress.freeserve.co.uk
