Understanding Emotional & Psychological Trauma
Trauma is the experience of severe psychological distress after a traumatic event. While trauma can cause lasting psychological damage, it’s important to remember that people are resilient and can recover from even the most distressing events. As a friend or family member, you have an important role in helping your loved one heal from trauma.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a serious psychological condition that can cause severe emotional distress. If you have experienced a traumatic event or if you have been exposed to an ongoing situation of abuse or neglect, it is likely that your body and mind will react by experiencing intense fear and anxiety. These feelings may be so extreme that they impact all aspects of your life and make it difficult for you to function normally. Psychological trauma can happen when someone experiences physical or sexual abuse as a child. And, emotional happens when there isn't enough attention paid to an individual by their caretakers in terms of love, affection or positive regard.
How to Heal from Trauma?
If you’re dealing with a loved one who is struggling to recover from trauma, it can be difficult to know how to help them. Here are some tips for helping someone you care about heal from trauma:
- Be supportive. Trauma is a very different experience for everyone, so there’s no “one size fits all” approach that will work for everyone. It’s important not to try and force the person into any particular way of healing or dealing with their trauma—they need space and time to figure out what works best for them.
- Don't take their symptoms personally or assume they're not working hard enough at recovery because of what happened in their past. Recovery takes time!
- Learn about the signs of emotional and psychological disorders so that you can identify when it's time for professional treatment (if necessary). We've included some additional resources below if you'd like more information on this topic:
- Listen. Listening is the most important thing that you can do for someone who has been through a traumatic experience. Asking questions and being present with them while they talk will help them feel supported and understood. If they need anything or want to talk more, give them your time to listen again at whatever pace works best for them—it may be in large chunks, or it may be in smaller pieces over time.
- Be there for them in person if possible; otherwise, check in regularly by phone or email so that they know you care about their well-being and want to support their recovery process as much as possible (even if this means letting go when necessary).
- Don’t judge—and never tell anyone else how long it takes them (or anyone else) should recover from trauma! It’s not something that anyone can put an exact timeline on or predict how long it will take each individual person before moving forward with their lives once again.* Be patient with yourself too--this might mean going through some tough times yourself while trying these tips out!
Feelings of trauma and its impact can be overwhelming. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, please seek help from a professional today. A trauma therapist can help you process your experience and develop coping skills to help you move forward with your life. You deserve healing, recovery, and peace.
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