Studies show that the majority of people will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, which may include sexual or physical assault or abuse, a serious accident, natural disaster, war, or learning about one of these events happening to someone that they're close to.
After an extremely stressful or traumatic event, most people will experience symptoms such as:
- Unwanted memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about the trauma
- Intense distress when reminded about the trauma
- The urge to escape or avoid reminders of the event(s)
- Negative changes in mood
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Feeling less connected to people, things, or activities that they usually care about
- Trouble focusing and concentrating
Studies show that most people will experience a few of these symptoms after trauma, and most will recover from the symptoms naturally over the weeks or months that follow the trauma through a process sometimes referred to as “natural recovery”. However, some people will continue to experience these symptoms and go on to experience posttraumatic stress disorder see article on PTSD.
Why do some experience natural recovery from trauma, and some develop PTSD?
When posttrauma symptoms, such as memories and flashbacks, are unbearable, people may try to avoid thinking about or feeling their emotions about a traumatic event. They may do this by keeping very busy, drinking or using drugs, or avoiding reminders of the trauma.
Although it makes sense that people would want to avoid these difficult emotions, research shows that avoidance of trauma actually prevents people from naturally recovering. Having strong emotions in the wake of trauma is natural, and taking the time to feel at least certain emotions can be important to recovery. Avoiding doing this can not only prevent recovery, but also maintain these symptoms over time.
Another reason that some people don't recover naturally from trauma involves the stories they tell themselves about why the trauma happened, or what it means. After trauma, many people start to think about the trauma and what it means in ways that are unhelpful and can interfere with their recovery. When people interpret the trauma in ways that are inaccurate and unhelpful (e.g., self-blame), they are more likely to “get stuck” and not recover on their own.
Common distressing thoughts that people with PTSD have related to traumatic event(s) are:
- “It is my fault that this happened”
- “Because I didn't do something different at the time of the trauma, it is my fault that it happened.”
- “If I had been paying more attention, the trauma wouldn't have happened.”
- “I should have known this was going to happen”
- “Because I did not tell anyone, I am to blame for what happened.”
This form of thinking can prevent people from recovering from trauma, and can lead to other problems like posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety. Fortunately, there are science supported treatments that can help people recover from these forms of thinking.
The good news is there is very compelling evidence to show that approaching difficult emotions in psychotherapy can be highly effective in helping people recover from trauma.
If you are looking for support with trauma recovery at this time, we would be glad to help you get connected to treatment that works. Visit https://www.nelliehealth.com/info-call/ to get started today.