Trauma (PTSD: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder)

Trauma is relatively more known to public just recently, through cases of veterans’ trauma in famous movies and natural disasters as well as motor vehicle accident victims. 

It is a physical, emotional and psychological response when a person is exposed to high levels of stress without capability to adequately deal with the traumatic event (fight or flight response). 

Trauma is a stress response in a form of “freeze” state. Persons with trauma experience re-living of the past traumatic event in the present, with minimal trigger (for example, a veteran feels like hearing a gunfire when a drill sound is heard, and he runs for cover). Symptoms of trauma are as below:   

• High levels of fear, feeling watchful and on guard
  
• Emotional numbness 
  
• High avoidance 
  
• Flashbacks 
  
• Physical symptoms like heart racing, shortness of breaths, sweats, chills, tremors etc.
  
• Suicidal thoughts or behaviours
  
• Sensitivity and irritableness to others
  
• Nightmares etc.

Trauma is caused from various sources, from natural disasters, wars, motor vehicle accidents and so on. But recent studies reveal that relational trauma can be as detrimental as war veteran’s traumatic experiences. It can be as subtle as parents’ abandonment and neglect of child and as harsh as abusive spousal relationships or abusive parenting in either physical or verbal forms. 

Therefore, it is important to recognise whether you are experiencing trauma symptoms. And most of all, it is NEVER your fault to experience trauma. Knowing this, the beginning step is to take a step forward to acknowledge you suffer from trauma and take courage and hope to overcome it; because there is hope in you.