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Signs of emotional trauma4/1/2024 They may become extraordinarily cautious and even may develop rituals that they feel will keep them safe, to the point where they may even appear to have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to Dr. Other people may become so determined to prevent the trauma from happening again that they develop anxiety disorders. People who fall into a depressed state after a trauma, Horsley says, may feel as though “the world we once knew is over.” They may experience feelings of worthlessness or helplessness, believing there is nothing they can do to prevent future traumatic events, and that life is no longer worth living. “What we really look for in terms of diagnosis is, what’s going on with you, and how do your symptoms impact day-to-day functioning?” “A lot of people who have experienced traumatic situations may develop a major depressive disorder or anxiety symptoms, rather than PTSD,” Galligher says. Trauma may exacerbate mental health conditions that existed before the event, or people may develop symptoms of conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders for the first time in the aftermath of traumatic experiences. PTSD, however, is not the only mental health condition associated with trauma, says Arianna Galligher, the associate director of the stress, trauma, and resilience trauma recovery center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Having all four of them, plus an inability to function, is likely PTSD.” For example, some people who have experienced intimate violence may have dissociation or avoidance, she says. PTSD Symptoms and DiagnosisPTSD involves a set of four symptoms: intrusive memories of the traumatic event (often taking the shape of nightmares or flashbacks) hypervigilance for signs the traumatic event may happen again avoidance of people, places, or things associated with the trauma and negative changes in mood, self-esteem, or beliefs about the world.Įxperiencing trauma after a distressing event may lead to one or two of these symptoms, Naturale says. But when they experience multiple similar events, or when a single crisis persists for an extended period of time, the brain doesn’t have adequate opportunity to heal, Naturale says. Most people can cope with and recover from a single trauma. The number and duration of traumatic events a person experiences also significantly increases his or her mental health risk. “We don’t like to think that anyone might kill us for no reason.” The randomness of certain traumas (whether they’re intentionally inflicted or not) can also be difficult to grapple with. “What we don’t understand is when someone decides to randomly hurt, kill, or maim a group of people,” Naturale says. Intentional violence tends to be tougher to accept, she explains. It seems easier for people to comprehend events involving human error or that things like natural disasters are out of our control, Naturale says. Terrorism, shootings, rape, and other human-caused threats roughly double the odds that the victim will experience mental health effects, according to Naturale. In fact, a strong emotional response to trauma may be key to ensuring long-term recovery, Horsley says. While a certain percentage of individuals do develop mental health conditions, especially PTSD and depression, after a traumatic event, most people recover naturally with time and good social support. “ you were assaulted, it is normal to feel like the weight of the world is on you and you have no energy.” “That’s where people get it wrong,” Horsley says. As a result, many individuals come to believe they are suffering from a mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when their reaction may be not only normal but healthy, she explains. Society often expects survivors of emotional trauma to recover much faster than is realistic - to stop talking about the event and move on in a matter of weeks or months. Now an adjunct professor at Columbia University in New York City and the executive director of the Open to Hope Foundation, Horsley says trauma, and its impact on mental health, is widely misunderstood. Her experience as a young adult eventually prompted Horsley to become a therapist who specializes in grief and trauma. ![]() Horsley’s younger brother died when she was 20 years old. I felt my brother died, so I could die.”ĭr. When my brother died, I didn’t feel like my parents could protect us. “The safe predictable world you once knew is gone. ![]() With each replay, she recalls, she ruminated on whether her brother suffered before his death - and she became increasingly worried someone else was going to die. “That narrative kept going over and over, and I couldn’t get the loop out of my head,” she says. ![]() He died in a car accident after hydroplaning during a rainstorm. Although she didn’t witness the event herself, Heidi Horsley, PsyD, found herself replaying the last moments of her brother’s life again and again in her mind.
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