How to Deal With Trauma: A Path to Healing

Trauma – it’s the sudden jump at a loud noise, the inexplicable lump in your throat as you try to express what’s going on inside, or the storm that is constantly brewing in your inner world.

Trauma is an emotional response that results from a concerning or disturbing event. This can be a single incident or a series of distressing experiences. This includes events such as accidents, acts of violence, abuse, life-threatening illnesses, and natural disasters. Symptoms of trauma may appear instantly or gradually. After the event, you may feel shocked, hopeless, or numb, which are all valid emotions. Trauma can shape the way we view ourselves, others, and the world around us.

At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we understand that managing trauma is challenging, but healing is possible. Research shows that in 2023, around 48% of people living with a mental health condition in Delaware didn’t receive treatment. Whether you’re just beginning to identify your symptoms or looking for effective healing strategies, this guide offers hope for your next steps.

Understanding How Trauma Affects You

Everyone’s experience with trauma is different. However, there are some common reactions following a traumatic event.

Shock or Disbelief: Many individuals' initial reaction to a traumatic situation is shock or disbelief. This occurs as the mind tries to make sense of things. Shock can present as dissociation, extreme calm after a traumatic incident, or difficulties speaking clearly. Disbelief can look like denial about what transpired as a way of trying to process the trauma.

Intense Mood Swings: Trauma impacts the brain’s emotional regulation systems, leading to unpredictable emotions. Mood swings are exhausting and often feel like your mind is working against you. You may feel fine one day and stuck in bed crying the next.

Fear and Anxiety: Fear and anxiety are two of the most common symptoms following trauma. After experiencing a traumatic event, your body remains on high alert, even if there’s no danger. You may feel like you’re constantly on edge, be hypervigilant, have racing thoughts, always expect the worst, or have chest tightness or panic attacks.

Shame or Guilt: Shame and guilt are often intertwined, impacting your self-perception. Guilt occurs when you place the blame on yourself, feel like you did something wrong, or that you’re responsible for the traumatic event. On the other hand, shame may present as feelings of worthlessness or feeling like something is wrong with you due to the event that transpired.

Impaired Interpersonal Relationships: Trauma can make you want to withdraw or isolate yourself from social connections. As you experience symptoms, you may also notice your relationships becoming strained or having an increase in conflict.

Flashbacks or Intrusive Thoughts: Flashbacks and intrusive thoughts are common after going through trauma. These symptoms often make it feel like the trauma isn’t over. When flashbacks occur, it’s like the trauma is happening again in the moment. You may experience a range of symptoms, such as physical reactions, losing touch with reality, feeling paralyzed, or completely shutting down. Intrusive thoughts are sudden and feel invasive, looking like a vivid image of the traumatic event replaying in your head, obsessive thoughts about what occurred, or harsh self-blame.

Physical Reactions: Physical responses such as fatigue, body aches, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, or heart palpitations may occur after a traumatic incident as your mind tries to process things.

Nightmares: Trauma-related nightmares are typically intense and feel real. You may wake up drenched in sweat, crying, or feeling like you can’t breathe.

Effective Strategies for Dealing With Trauma

1. Identify Your Feelings

Recognizing what you’re feeling is the first step towards healing. Once you’re able to name your feelings, you can begin processing what you experienced. One way to identify your feelings is by journaling. Writing things down is a great way to externalize the pain.

2. Challenge Distorted Thoughts

Sometimes after trauma, individuals blame themselves or fall into a cycle of negative thinking. Start replacing these negative thoughts with more uplifting and balanced ones. Therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help you learn how to challenge negative thoughts.

3. Practice Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques are valuable tools that can help reduce trauma-related symptoms. These techniques can help center you and bring you back to the present moment. Some examples include breathing exercises, body scanning, the “safe place” visualization, meditation, counting, listening to music, and reciting affirmations or mantras.

4. Create a Sleep Routine

Good sleep hygiene can help support your recovery. Symptoms of trauma can have a significant impact on the rest you’re getting, but creating a nighttime routine can alleviate some of this burden.

5. Practice Self-Care

Practicing self-care after experiencing trauma is essential for healing and finding safety and stability. Self-care promotes healing and reduces stress and anxiety.

6. Lean on Your Support System

Leaning on your support system is important when dealing with trauma. This can be friends, family, or a therapist who can provide comfort, a sense of safety, and remind you that you don’t have to fight your battles alone. Talking through your thoughts and emotions with others can be a powerful tool and help lighten the load. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your support network if needed.

7. Move Your Body

Trauma often lives within the body long after the event has passed, affecting us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Engaging in physical activity is an effective way to work through the pain and can help you reconnect with your body in a positive way. Physical activity also releases endorphins in the brain, which are mood-boosting chemicals and promote overall well-being.

8. Find a Creative Outlet

Having a creative outlet can help you process your thoughts, express your feelings, and reclaim your narrative, which can be empowering.

9. Rebuild Trust Slowly

Traumatic experiences can leave you feeling like you can’t trust yourself or anyone else. Restoring trust takes time and patience, and also requires that you establish healthy boundaries and take things at your own pace.

10. Celebrate Small Steps

Slow progress is still progress. Even if you feel like you should be further along, take time to celebrate how far you’ve come, and remember that healing isn’t linear. Dealing with trauma is typically a long and challenging journey. Things won’t get better overnight, but acknowledging the small victories you’ve made is a crucial part of healing.

Finding the Courage: When to Seek Help for Trauma

Everyone’s experience with trauma is different, and knowing when to seek help is crucial for your healing path. Some people may be able to manage their symptoms and find ways to cope, however, for others, the weight may be unbearable. If you’re feeling stuck on your journey toward recovery and it’s like you can’t move forward, know that you’re not alone. You might be doing everything “right” – practicing self-care, leaning on your support system, utilizing distractions – only to find that you still don’t feel okay. This doesn’t mean you’re broken, instead, it’s a sign that you need additional support. While all of these factors are essential to healing, sometimes self-help strategies simply aren’t enough, and it’s time to consider professional support. Working with a trauma-informed therapist can provide you with a safe space to explore your feelings and begin to process and heal from what happened to you.

Trauma Therapy at SUN Behavioral Health Delaware

Trauma can be a looming shadow over your life, following you wherever you go, but healing is possible. Trauma therapy can help you reclaim your life by fostering an environment where you can understand and manage your symptoms. A therapist can also assist you in developing healthy coping mechanisms and equip you with the tools necessary to manage symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, and fear.

At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we believe in solving unmet needs through our therapeutic approach, rooted in evidence-based treatment that’s tailored to each individual’s experience. Our trauma-informed therapists are here to empower you. If you or someone you love is dealing with the effects of trauma, seeking help is a vital step. Our team of qualified trauma therapists is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care to support your healing journey. We offer crisis care and treatment for both adolescents and adults, so there’s support available for individuals at any stage of life. If you’re ready to begin this journey, give us a call at (302) 604-5600.