What is Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response to a scary, harmful, or stressful event. Some possible traumatic events are abuse (such as when a parent hits a child), accidents (such as a car crash), natural disasters (such as a tornado), sudden death of a loved one, seeing violence (such as when a parent hits the other parent), serious health events (such as a major surgery).
What are the symptoms of trauma and PTSD?
PTSD can affect many parts of your life, such as:
- How you think. You may:
- Have scary or dark thoughts that keep coming up
- Have a hard time focusing or remembering things
- Try hard to not think about the event
- Have nightmares about the event
- How you feel. You may feel:
- Upset when reminded of the event
- Unhappy or depressed
- Nervous, jittery, or on edge
- Like the event is happening again (flashback)
- How you act. You may:
- Replay the event in your mind or in your play
- Not want to do fun things or play anymore
- Try hard to not be reminded of the event
- Act rashly or get angry with others
- How your body works. You may have:
- A hard time falling or staying asleep
- Headaches or stomachaches
How do I know if I have PTSD?
If you think you might be suffering from PTSD you should visit a primary care doctor or therapist; however, you can start by taking a free PTSD screener.
How can therapy help with my PTSD?
Therapy is when you talk to a therapist trained in mental health. Some treatments that could help you feel better include