Trauma and Reactions

 

The Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in New Delhi in collaboration with the Drug Rehabilitation Centre in New Delhi defines trauma as a condition due to a serious shock, of which the harmful effects last for a long time. There are several different types of trauma, all affecting people in different ways and for different periods. The ill-effects of trauma can affect people for years after the incident or event, changing their views, opinions, and beliefs about the future and their lives.

The Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in New Delhi states that there are many different types of incidents or events that can prove to be traumatic for a person. The same event will not be traumatic for everyone and affect everyone in the same way. Some common traumatic events can be bullying, physical or sexual abuse, kidnappings, war, losing a loved one, road accidents, harassment, or natural disasters as well. The traumatic incident does not have to occur directly to the person as well.

Someone can witness another person going through something traumatic, and develop the same symptoms related to experiencing trauma themselves. The people who are most vulnerable to trauma are children. Their brains are still developing, and experiencing a traumatic event can lead them to develop certain views about life as they grow. Their sense of fear can go on well into adulthood, making it difficult for them to cope with the regular events of life.

When it comes to reactions to trauma, sometimes the patients have difficulty in identifying these reactions and feelings. Emotional reactions like sadness, anger, and fear are most common among these patients. They try to hide their feelings because they believe that allowing themselves to openly feel is wrong, or unacceptable. This is when other people start assuming and passing comments about how the person has no feelings and lacks basic emotions.

Emotional dysregulation is also common among people who were victims of trauma at a young age. They do not know how to regulate and control their emotions. Some people who suffer from emotional dysregulation take up substance abuse to gain control of their emotions. This is only a short-term solution and causes even more emotional dysregulation in the future. Others might even take up safer and better ways to regulate their emotions by tapping into their creative side or through physical activity.

There are several different methods of treating trauma, some of them being therapy, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, stress inoculation training, and medication. Eye movement desensitisation makes the patient focus on something the therapist is doing, like a flashlight, a prolonged sound, or hand movements. This helps the patient focus or thinks about something positive while talking about their trauma. Stress inoculation training includes activities like breathing techniques and massages to help the patient relax, release stress or tension and ease the body and mind simultaneously.

The activities help in reducing and stopping negative or harmful thoughts from surfacing often. Often when a person is suffering from the symptoms of trauma, the balance of chemicals in their body is not proportionate. The imbalance of neurotransmitters makes the person edgy, jumpy, and easily triggered. In such cases, medication is the best way to go. The approved and prescribed medicines help the patient control their negative thoughts and might even give them a more positive outlook on life, allowing them to feel like they can take control of their lives again.