Why You Shouldn't Cope with Trauma By Yourself

Some of the toughest challenges we face in life aren’t obvious or easy to see from the outside. Traumatic stress, which can be brought on by a wide variety of things that happen to or around us, causes a wide range of harmful effects and can be tremendously difficult to carry and heal from. Coping with and moving past trauma is just as intensive as rehabilitating a joint after surgery and takes work, time, commitment, and support.

Oftentimes we hear stigmas against being “weak” or “emotional.” Maybe you were told when you were a kid that crying meant you were weak, or you have felt afraid in the past to share your feelings or struggles with your parents or friends. Those negative ideas aren’t true - traumatic stress (along with strained mental health in other forms) is serious and should be treated with care. This article will share a bit about the nature of trauma, how you can recognize it, and what to do if you find yourself experiencing it.

What is Trauma?

Trauma refers to any event that threatens the emotional or physical safety of yourself or of a loved one. It is often an event or scenario, though sometimes traumatic events can happen multiple times over a period of your life. Trauma is often a frightening, painful, or shocking situation that exceeds your ability to cope. Trauma can cause feelings like fear, horror, anger, pain, or numbness. It may be something that you experience yourself or something that you witness happening to someone else.

Resultantly, traumatic stress refers to the physical, mental, or emotional effects you experience as a result of being exposed to trauma. Traumatic stress can last for years, or even a lifetime. Traumatic stress is just like physical illnesses or injuries in that it needs attention and treatment in order to heal.

Trauma’s Harmful Effects

You first will have to know what trauma looks like so you can work to manage it effects. Just like watching for symptoms of a sickness or testing a bone or joint to check for injury, trauma appears as symptoms that you can observe in yourself and in your behavior. Trauma’s effects commonly include:

• Having trouble sleeping or falling asleep
• Feeling sad, depressed, moody, irritable, aggressive or hyperactive
• Feeling numb or tired
• Having trouble eating or overeating
• Experiencing difficulties focusing
• Not wanting to engage in social interaction or usual routines
• Turning to alcohol or other drugs

Trauma and its results can significantly impact your quality of life. And it is much more common than you might think - over 60% of our population report experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event before the age of 16. Its prevalence makes it important to recognize its effects so that you can take steps to heal from traumatic experiences.

Why Trauma Has to be a Team Sport

The very nature of traumatic stress makes it difficult to treat on your own. Especially as a young person, your brain’s maturation is still in process and you are still learning emotional coping mechanisms and tools that can aid you. This is why it is so important to seek help from others if you notice signs of trauma in your life (like those listed above). Trauma is best treated by a trained professional in the form of a counselor or psychiatrist. But opening up to any other safe, mature person about the symptoms you’re experiencing can help you better understand and work with your trauma.

Tips for Tackling Trauma

If you notice signs of trauma in your life, here are a few steps you can take to be proactive in seeking help and healing:

Develop a wellness toolbox for your mental health:

A number of strategies can improve your mental health whatever your circumstances and are always a good idea, whether you are experiencing the symptoms of trauma or not. But they can be especially important when experiencing mental strain and stress, including traumatic stress. Things like taking care of your body by getting time outdoors and exercising, making sure you’re getting good sleep, and building positive connections with other people can all go a long way in lessening the effects of trauma.

Get a pet:

If your lifestyle or household would allow for having a pet around, animals can provide strong emotional comfort and stress-relieving benefits.

Talk to an important adult in your life:

If you have access to an adult you trust - whether that be your parent(s), a youth worker, a teacher, or similar - it can help immensely to open up to an adult and ask them for help and guidance in dealing with your trauma. Most adults aren’t necessarily trained in therapeutic trauma treatment techniques, but they can offer advice, a listening ear, and help in finding further resources.

Call a hotline number:

Some people don’t have access to adults they trust or know where to turn for services that can help them. If this is you, you are still not alone - mental health and childrens’ safety hotlines are resources you can reach out to for help. If you have access to a phone, a quick google search for national or local hotline numbers can connect you with people who can help you. Hotline staff can also often point you in the direction of additional resources you might not have known about.

Speak to a professional:

Does your school have a counselor or therapist on staff? Do you have access to counseling services or a mental health clinic? Clinical psychologists and counselors are equipped for helping individuals process and heal from trauma. If you have access or can get access to professional mental health or counseling services, counselors can teach you skills and mechanisms to understand and heal from your trauma.

Trauma is a serious and significant experience. It is not a sign of weakness and shouldn’t be hidden. It is something from which you can heal and move forward, however deep or dark it might be. The most important step in moving through trauma is the first one! If you’ve experienced trauma in your life, inviting someone into it or asking for help is all you need to do to start moving forward.