How do you know if you are traumatised?

I have heard some of my clients say: ‘Now that I’m talking about it, it sounds trivial and silly’. They felt embarrassed and almost reluctant to talk about it. They felt they should be able to just ‘get a grip’. But they were unable to move forward.

Traumas are not silly or trivial. If it affects you physically, mentally, or emotionally, it’s real.

Symptoms that may be present and associated with being traumatised are:

• Recurrent distressing memories
• Upsetting dreams or memories
• Emotional distress
• Physical pain, acute or chronic
• Being easily startled
• Trouble concentrating
• Trouble sleeping
• Self-destructive behaviour
• Being always on guard

And they may sometimes also lead to:

• Feeling overwhelmed to the point of crying frequently
• Not wanting to socialise
• Not wanting to go out of the house

I personally don’t like to call it a trauma because the word itself seems like something outside of you. I would call it feeling distressed as to me it connects with the effect it has had on you, and so is easier to realise what it really is.

Traumas are not silly or trivial. If you have any symptoms mentioned above, get in touch.

Talking about it, using different techniques to let go of the emotions attached to what had happened and learning tools to start moving forward is all possible. It is possible in a safe space, and it has been proven to help to move forward and start to do things you used to be able to do and be your usual good self.