Trauma drama

There is a lot to be said about trauma! I began learning about the effects of trauma a couple years ago when I participated in an “Emotional First Aid” seminar provided by Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc. (TIP). I learned a little more about trauma from some training I received through the Department of Human Services and then a little more through first hand experiences and observations while working in the field of child welfare. I’ve also been digging into some of the literature and research available, but slowly.

 As you might suspect post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, panic attacks and depression are all typical symptoms associated with trauma. For a while now I've been well informed about what these symptoms entail, as I am sure you are. However it was good to give each of these a hearty review as I aimed to understand what exactly I was experiencing when this momma's trauma caused her some drama.

 Dr. Sheela Raja describes PTSD as being caused by a traumatic event that involved death, threat of death, injury or threat to your physical safety. You reaction would involve, intense fear, helplessness or horror. The after math is:

 • Avoidance. Going to great lengths to avoid reminders. Not thinking about or talking about the trauma, avoiding people or places associated with the trauma or remind you of it.
 • Re-experiencing. The memories are vivid and cause you to feel very emotionally or physically distressed much like the flashback I described in my previous previous post.

Additional symptoms of PTSD could include, feeling constantly anxious or on edge, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, difficulty managing anger, feeling irritable and feeling always on guard. 

Dr. Raja describes anxiety as something that effects your whole being.
 • Physiological: rapid heartbeat, sweating, muscle tensions, dry mouth or queasiness.
 • Psychological: apprehensive state or uneasiness
• Behavioral reaction: sabotages your ability to act, or express yourself, or deal with certain everyday situations.

 Dr. Edmund J. Bourne says “Anxiety can appear in different forms at different levels of intensity. Anxiety that appears to come out of the blue is called free-floating anxiety and in more severe instances it is called a panic attack.” The following is his description of a panic attack:

 • Shortness of breathe • Irregular or rapid heart beat • Trebling or shaking • Sweating • Choking • Nausea • Numbness • Hot flashes or chills • Fear of dying • Feeling like you’re going crazy 

Depression is also strongly tied to trauma and involves: extreme sadness, weight gain or loss, difficulty concentrating, general loss of interest in the things you used to enjoy. All this accompanied by feelings of guilt, hopelessness, irritability or anger.

Each of these are general descriptions that can contribute to a diagnosis of, but these descriptions are not diagnostic material in it's entirety. Just FYI :)Dr. Sheela Raja is the author of Overcoming Trauma and PTSD and Dr. Edmund J. Bourne is the author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, both of which I’ve utilized in my studies of trauma.

Hopefully you can appreciate this brief review. I think it’s well known that Americans in general have a real struggle with anxiety and depression. With so many suffering from the effects of each of these, and so much talk surrounding each of these, I can see how it might be easy to become less sympathetic. How could we genuinely offer our sympathies to each and every one, and every time the topic presents itself, without exhausting ourselves? By becoming less sympathetic, that’s how.