The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as the emotional response someone has to an extremely negative event. Trauma can also be caused by repeated minor painful events. Trauma and abuse can have long-term effects on your mental health and be disruptive to your everyday life.
There are self-help mind and body therapies available to help deal with trauma, but if you feel that you need professional help to treat depression, stress, or any other negative effects caused by trauma, please reach out to Student Counseling Services to get the support that you need.
On This Page:Trauma is the emotional response someone has to an extremely negative event. This may include feelings of guilt, sadness, and anger. You may be in shock and/or denial for a while.
The response can also be physical, such as an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and sweat production. These are all normal ways that your body responds to an emergency situation. When these reactions do not go away after a few weeks, it may be time to seek help. Learn more about Trauma from the American Psychological Association.
Some common causes of trauma include:
Listed below are common responses to trauma. Most of them can be helpful in the days and weeks after a traumatic event, but when the strategies are utilized over an extended period of time, they can have negative psychological consequences.
Most of us experience some sort of trauma in our lives, and we all react to trauma differently. It is normal to have intense reactions after a trauma and not have a disorder. In other words, there is not a certain way we should think, feel, or respond. Your responses are normal reactions to abnormal events. Symptoms typically last from a few days to a few months, gradually decreasing as you process the event. If your symptoms do not ease up or become worse, then you may be experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Trauma causes PTSD when people get stuck in their reactions to trauma and are unable to make sense of, or process, what happened. When this happens, seeking out a Trauma specialist can help eliminate or decrease these symptoms to a more tolerable window.
These screening tools can help determine if it may be time to seek professional help.
Research shows that relaxation and mindfulness exercises can help to improve a person’s mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Here are some practices that help you regulate negative emotions.