If you’re wondering whether you might be dealing with trauma, this blog will help you understand the signs and symptoms of trauma from a trauma therapist in Denton, TX.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is when you experience a scary or stressful situation that causes your body to feel overwhelmed. You might feel stuck or out of control. This makes it difficult to function normally. Additionally, when you experience a traumatic event, you may notice changes in yourself. These changes might look like doing things you don’t normally do or acting differently.
Types of Traumatic Events
There are some common types of traumatic events including sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, natural disasters, neglect, and more. Further, someone can also experience trauma when they deal with stress for long periods. This chronic stress could be from financial instability, divorce, or health problems.
Trauma Response
When we face a scary or stressful situation, our body typically experiences a fight, flight, or freeze response. For example, imagine seeing a bear in the forest. Your body knows you are in danger and will automatically try and keep you safe. Without thinking, you might go into fight mode by getting big and loud to scare off the bear. Or, you might freeze, hoping the bear will ignore you. Further, another course of action would be to run away, or flight. Anytime your body goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode, this is a good sign you are dealing with trauma.
Trauma Symptoms
After experiencing a traumatic event, some symptoms show you are still affected by what happened. This could look like having symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Common signs of trauma include intrusion, avoidance, negative mood or thoughts, and arousal. Intrusion can look like flashbacks of a traumatic event or upsetting memories. Avoidance might look like avoiding conversations, people, or places that remind you of what happened. Further, negative mood or thoughts could be feeling like what happened was your fault or you can never trust anyone. Arousal looks like getting upset or getting into arguments easily.Even though the traumatic experience has already passed, your body might still feel unsafe. This means that you’re dealing with the traumatic effects of the situation. For example, you might feel unsafe whenever you see anything that reminds you of the experience, even though you truly are safe now.
When to Seek Trauma Therapy in Denton, TX
If you experience any of the symptoms above, these are signs you’re dealing with trauma. Further, getting help is important. Search for ways to find healing from your trauma such as seeing a counselor specialized in trauma. EMDR (Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing) therapy is evidence-based and especially helpful in processing and recovering from traumatic events. As a trauma therapist in Denton, TX, I help clients recognize the signs of trauma and feel relief by processing their traumatic experiences in comfortable space. To learn more, schedule a free consultation here.