Trauma is the emotional response to a profoundly stressful or disturbing event, such as a natural disaster, accident, losing a loved one, or divorce. It can also comprise extremely damaging behavior like rape or violence. Traumatic events can happen at every age, someone might have some childhood trauma regarding an event that happened in their past. Some events do not have such a long-lasting effect, their effect vanishes with time, but some have a long-lasting severe effect that alters the functioning of the mind and body. Many people experience the aftershocks of trauma after having a horrible event. In some cases, weeks or even months can pass before appearing aftershocks, and sometimes they can appear immediately. The signs and symptoms of aftershocks may last longer or shorter depending on the severity of the traumatic event.
The Aftershocks of Trauma:
Just like an aftershock following an earthquake, you may have aftershocks after a traumatic event like a natural disaster or any horrible event that can impact your mind and body. Once you have experienced a traumatic event, although the event is over, you may experience intense physical and emotional reactions, which are the aftershocks of trauma.
Emotional Aftershocks of Trauma:
The emotional aftershocks can be severe and long-lasting. Individuals who have experienced trauma may struggle with intense feelings of fear, rage, anxiety, or depression, which can affect their daily life and the quality of relationships. The emotional aftershocks of trauma can also affect the ability of an individual to trust others and form healthy relationships with others. Emotional aftershocks of trauma may be devastating; a person’s life may be disturbed. He may have difficulty sleeping, flashbacks of that traumatic event, nightmares, and feelings of guilt and shame. These aftershocks make it difficult for a person to feel safe and secure.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
The traumatic event may also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by inclusive thoughts, memories, avoidance behavior, hypervigilance, nightmares, or flashbacks of that traumatic event. These symptoms make it difficult for a person to lead a normal life. Individuals with PTSD may also experience insomnia, anxiety, and depression, affecting their mental and physical health.
The Impact of Aftershocks on Relationships:
Persons who have once experienced trauma will have difficulty establishing healthy relationships and social interactions. Because they will have trust issues that will make them antisocial, they will not make new relations and cannot maintain the existing relationships. The symptoms of aftershocks, like anxiety, depression, and irritability, will interfere with their daily activities, and they will not interact with others in a fulfilling and positive manner.
The aftershocks of trauma may leave a person unproductive and have difficulty maintaining professional relationships. The person having aftershocks of trauma or PTSD will doubt his abilities, affecting his performance.
The Physical and Emotional Effects of Trauma Aftershocks:
The physical and emotional effects of trauma may be severe and long-lasting. The symptoms of trauma aftershocks on physical health may include increased heartbeat rate, sweating, and muscle tension. People experiencing aftershocks of trauma may also suffer from digestive problems, chronic pains, etc.
The other symptoms of physical effects of trauma aftershocks may involve;
Fatigue, nausea, cramps, vomiting, dizziness, Chills, thirst, fainting, cramps, weakness, chest pain, headaches, elevated blood pressure, muscle tremors, shock symptoms, grinding teeth, and visual difficulties.
The emotional effects of trauma can be equally devastating and severe such as fear, guilt, shame, and aggression. These emotions can interfere with daily life and make a person’s life unhealthy and difficult. A person may find it difficult to sleep due to overthinking, fear, and rage.
The other emotional effects of aftershocks of trauma may include;
Grief, panic, denial, agitation, irritability, intense anger, emotional shock, emotional outbursts, feeling overwhelmed, loss of emotional control, and inappropriate emotional response.
How to Help a Person with Trauma Aftershocks:
Here are several ways to help a person with trauma aftershocks
- It would help if you listened actively. Encourage the person to share their experiences, let them speak, and be patient with them.
- You should be supportive. Let the person know you are here for them and offer your full-time support
- It would help if you learned about trauma and its aftershocks. It will help you better understand that person’s feelings and emotions.
- Avoid asking for too many details about the traumatic event. These questions may disturb the person.
- Encourage the person to engage in activities that promote good mental and physical health.
- It’s essential to encourage the person to seek professional help.
Importance of Seeking Professional Help:
Professional help is very much crucial in overcoming the aftershocks of trauma. A mental health professional can help persons to understand and recognize their trauma. A mental health professional can help the individual with the resources and support through their experiences and professional education about the affected person’s problems. A professional counselor or therapist helps people with trauma through different techniques and strategies to manage their symptoms. Professional help provides a person with the necessary hope and a supportive environment for the affected persons who need to recover from that traumatic event.
In some cases, individuals may benefit from therapy such as talk sessions or exposure therapy. Talk therapy provides a safe place to discuss their problems, experiences, and emotions, which can help them process their feelings and emotions in a healthy and productive manner.
Medication can also be affected the persons suffering from traumatic effects. For example, antidepressants can help a person cope with anxiety and depression.
Seeking professional help is critical for someone’s journey to a healthy and peaceful life. With the right resources and guidance, individuals can learn to manage their symptoms and emotions and take the proper steps for their mental and physical health. If you want professional help, you can contact https://victim2victor.net/; she is an excellent therapist and coach. You will love the experience with her. Do check her website for amazing therapy and coaching session. She is an experienced therapist and coach; she will help you overcome the aftershocks of trauma.
