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We have all been in situations where we felt anxious, stressed or even scared. Usually, after the situation is over, these feelings go away. Sometimes, it takes a bit longer, and we may find it hard to go back to the way we felt before the incident. We might keep remembering the experience for weeks and sometimes months after it happened.
Traumatic events are not always huge ones we see on TV, like natural disasters, earthquakes, or floods, for example. Sometimes, they are smaller incidents and personal life changes, like our parents divorcing. It may also be something we witness happening, like violence.
We all react differently to the events that we experience in life. Some of us may be more affected than others. For example, some people might be able to talk about their experience, even though it is difficult, others might not be able to even think about it or process the event.
If the feelings continue to last for more than a month, this could be a sign of something called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (also called PTSD). It is treatable and we can learn how to manage this if we experience it.
Trauma affects people in very different ways and not everyone will have the same symptoms. The way we react to trauma is extremely personal. Coping with trauma isn’t about ‘getting over’ it. It’s about healing or moving forward with it. It is important to have safe spaces to process and talk about the events. Here are some things that can help us to process our emotions when we’ve faced traumatic events.
When we feel that doing these activities is not helping us, and we cannot shake this feeling, even a few months after the traumatic event has happened, it might be time to talk to someone. Reach out to a trusted adult, like a teacher, a school counselor, a parent or family relative who can offer support. No one should have to cope with trauma alone. Having support from someone can help us to process it and grow from the experience.
We may have people in our lives who have experienced trauma as well. It might feel that we cannot do much to help them, but there are some small things we can do to offer support:
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