Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes those downs are so intense it causes us emotional or psychological trauma.
Emotional trauma is a direct result of a negative event that strips you of your sense of security, leading to you feeling helpless and not knowing where to start your journey to healing.
This is especially true if the trauma occurred in childhood. If you went through an abnormal situation, your reactions to the experience were normal and helped you to survive. Sometimes in adulthood, however, we are not aware that some behaviours related to trauma are no longer helpful.
Old ways of coping no longer serve you the way they did in the past. This can be difficult to overcome on your own.
After a traumatic event, it can be hard to put yourself out there again. But with a bit of patience, persistence, support and hard work anyone who has experienced emotional trauma can overcome it.
Can PTSD be caused by emotional trauma?
In short, yes it can.
The symptoms of emotional trauma show up differently in different individuals. Examples include scents, images, use of language or tone, or sounds etc.
If you have experienced trauma after an extraordinary event you can experience PTSD. This would consist of triggers or flashbacks that remind you of that unpleasant moment.
For instance, if someone was in a car accident this would be considered an emotional and traumatic event. They may feel more anxiety when driving or be completely reluctant to get behind the wheel again.
Their hesitancy is PTSD due to their emotional trauma because they’ve lost that sense of safety and security when it comes to driving because of their previous negative experience.
According to research, this anxiety can exist within the body for years after a traumatic event. But the good news is there are strategies to address the symptoms of PTSD.
Signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
There are emotional and physical symptoms that one may experience when it comes to PTSD.
Emotional symptoms include:
Anxiety
Panic and fear
Distancing oneself from loved ones
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
Disconnected
Trouble focusing
Shock and in denial
Anger, irritability, or mood swings
Negative thoughts of one’s self
Guilt or shame
Physical symptoms include:
Trouble sleeping or nightmares
Increased heart rate
Being on edge or startled easily
Fatigue
Aches and body pains
Healing from PTSD
Recovering from trauma does take time and everyone’s healing journey is done at their own pace. There are four quick recommendations if you are in that stage where you are feeling the symptoms of PTSD but aren’t quite ready or sure if you need external support.
Get physical - try to exercise for 30 minutes every day as this is proven to improve your mental health
Surround yourself with supportive people - isolation can make things worse and participating in social activities, support groups and gatherings can help you heal.
Self regulate your reaction to your emotions - a great technique is the 4 7 8 breathing method
Take care of yourself - find a routine and stick to it. Get enough sleep, eat well, reduce your stress levels, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
If months have passed and you’re still not able to move forward it’s strongly recommended that you seek professional help.
Typically, these symptoms last from a few days to months. While it’s normal to react to an intense event and experience the symptoms mentioned above for some time. If you feel stuck in that state, it can be a huge barrier for you to live a happy and healthy life.
If these symptoms persist or become worse where you’re unable to move forward you may require support from a licensed counsellor or therapist to help you towards the direction of healing from your trauma.
Final thoughts
There is a treatment that you can partake in to help combat or manage your PTSD symptoms.
We’d love to help you get to your best self. At Sana Counselling, we offer both online and in-person counselling options. If you would like to explore the option of counselling with a focus on somatic counselling approaches to help with overcoming your trauma, we offer a free consultation to assess your needs.
Do not hesitate to reach out to us to see what works best for you. Book a consultation with us when you’re ready.
To learn more about PTSD and trauma check out our blog where you can find all of our previous blog posts on PTSD.