How To Heal After A Traumatic Event

Traumatic events happen regardless of economic status, gender, or age. A general population survey conducted in 24 countries showed that more than 70% of respondents had undergone a traumatic event, with 30.5% experiencing four or more traumatic events. A traumatic event can occur on a larger scale like wars, natural disasters, or a global pandemic that can negatively impact a community, state, or nation. Likewise, a traumatic event can also occur to a lesser extent, affecting smaller groups of people or even just an individual encountering untoward incidents such as car accidents or serious illnesses.

Because these terrible situations can happen to anyone, it is common to suffer from traumatic stress as a result of such upsetting circumstances. You may experience intense shock, panic, or disorientation. You may also feel numb or overwhelmed by a slew of contradicting emotions. Furthermore, you may sense shattered feelings of safety, causing you to feel weak and vulnerable in a dangerous environment. This is especially true if the horrific incident was man-made, such as terrorism or a mass shooting. Lastly, you may feel exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

As experiencing trauma is a horrible experience, addressing it can indeed be helpful to those who have such. Learning to heal and undergo recovery after trauma can allow a person to become healthy and face life’s challenges with less difficulty. If you’re one of those people, there are many recovery centers that you can find online. You can also click here if you need a specific trauma center to help you bring back the sense of normalcy you previously enjoyed.

To start, here are some ways of healing after a traumatic event.

Don’t Isolate Yourself

You may desire to stay away from your family and friends following a traumatic incident. However, connecting with others is a vital part of recovering from trauma. Daily activities such as speaking in front of others might cause the release of hormones that alleviate severe stress.

There are things that you need to consider when avoiding isolation. Find out more below.

• When seeking support from other people, remember that you don’t have to talk about your traumatic experience to get started. Feeling connected and being involved with individuals you trust can provide comfort. You can talk about everyday things that happen, including your hobbies and interests.
• Likewise, it can also be ideal if you can speak to people who have also gone through a traumatic event or those with similar experiences to yours. On the other hand, people can recover and react to the same event differently, and so, try not to compare your recovery to theirs.
• If you don’t have enough people to get in touch with, you can start expanding your social circle. For example, you can take advantage of support groups, church ministries, or community organizations. You can also join a sports team or hobby club with whom you can share your interests.

Get Into Action

Getting into action may be the last thing you might do when having traumatic stress. The reason is that trauma disrupts your body’s natural equilibrium, keeping you in a state of hyperarousal or fear. But with physical activities like exercise, you can burn off adrenaline and release endorphins that can enhance your mood. It can also allow you to feel safe and stable.

Besides that, having a mindful physical activity can also help your nervous system awaken from the feelings of being stuck, which can help you move forward from your traumatic event.

 There are things to consider once you decide to get moving, like the following:

• Exercise for 30 minutes or more most of the week: If it’s less challenging, you can incorporate three 10-minute bursts of exercise daily, which is also beneficial.
• Add an element of mindfulness: Focus on your body and its sensations as you move instead of distracting yourself from your random thoughts and other things. Notice the rhythm of your breath, the feeling of your feet hitting the ground, or the wind’s sensation on your skin.
• Increase your energy and motivation: Start playing your most loved tunes and begin to move and dance if ever you feel that you’re having issues with having the energy and motivation needed to exercise.
• Try rhythmic exercises: Walking, running, dancing, basketball, and swimming are good choices for having rhythmic exercises.

Seek Professional Help

Healing from trauma takes time, and not everyone has the same pace concerning trauma recovery. But if the symptoms seem to persist after many months, you may need help from a therapist or trauma specialist.

However, note that it’s generally not helpful to seek professional mental health support in the first month following the traumatic incident unless your general practitioner has advised this because your symptoms are severe.

Likewise, you should consider a trauma professional’s help if:

• You notice that your feelings have not returned to normal after six weeks
• The traumatic event has affected your work or academics
• You do not have people to communicate things with
• Drugs or alcohol are your ways of coping
• It is hard to carry out daily duties
• You are having flashbacks, nightmares, and terrifying memories
• Suicidal thoughts or feelings are present
• You are evading more and more the things that remind you of the traumatic event
• You are easily startled and can feel on edge

Overall, a qualified therapist or trauma specialist should have the necessary training and clinical experience to work through your situation. They can help a person recover from different types of traumatic events that may cause the individual to have the things mentioned above.

Trauma centers can also provide counseling and other therapeutic methods to speed up your recovery. One great thing about staying in trauma facilities is that they are not your typical hospital layout. In most cases, they are designed to mimic a warm and inviting home to make patients feel secure and not alone.

Bottomline

There are lots of people who have undergone traumatic incidents. These traumatic events can occur regardless of economic conditions, gender, or age. Likewise, it can be normal to experience traumatic stress after a disturbing event. When one has a trauma, one can feel a shattered sense of security or feel physically or emotionally drained.

As experiencing a traumatic event is serious, managing its after-effects is crucial. This course of action can help a person be healthy again and face life’s challenges more easily. Overall, remember some ways to heal after a traumatic event like those above if you or someone you loved has undergone a traumatic experience.