Emotional trauma can be extremely devastating, which may lead to a condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Learning about these two concepts can be very helpful in recognizing their symptoms and addressing them promptly.
Emotional Trauma
Emotional trauma can be describe as feeling unsafe, hurt, and helpless after a traumatizing event/experience. Some people experience emotional trauma after a single event, whereas others only develop it when exposed to a continuous series of negative experiences (e.g., bullying, abuse, racism).
The connection between emotional trauma and physical harm
Experiencing a physical incident (e.g., a car accident, sexual assault) may lead to emotional trauma. However, you do not have to sustain a physical injury to develop emotional trauma.
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively prevalent mental disorder that occurs after emotional trauma. The triggers of the emotional trauma could be physical (e.g., car accident) or psychological (e.g., bullying).
PTSD is especially common in individuals who have sensitive jobs (e.g., military personnel, doctors, paramedics, firemen).
Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis are also known triggers of PTSD.
What does PTSD feel like?
People with PTSD describe feeling a heightened sense of danger causing anxiety which may leads to fight / flight /freeze response, leading to feeling overwelled.
The occurrence of these symptoms can be sporadic or linked to certain triggers (e.g., photos, places, smells and etc).
When first discovered, scientists considered PTSD to be a war-exclusive disorder. However, subsequent research shows that this disorder can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any age.
Causes and risk factors of PTSD
As we established above, there are several causes of PTSD, including military confrontation, road accidents, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, violence, sexual assault, etc.
A general rule of thumb is that anyone who undergoes severe fear, horror, or shock can develop PTSD. Further, research have identified risk factors that make individuals more prone to PTSD than others.
- Lack of social/psychological support after a traumatizing event
- A history of mental illness
- A history of substance abuse
- Childhood abuse
- Poor physical health
- Issues arising shortly after the event (e.g., the death of a loved one, job loss)
- Seeking help from others or accessing professional support.
- Developing coping strategies.
- Individual characteristics and the environment.
- Flashbacks – Reliving the event repeatedly
- Nightmares – Frequent with bits about the event
- Memories – Vivid, unsettling
- Intense mental distress
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Exaggerated reactions
- A constant feeling of being on the edge
- Negative thoughts
- Feelings of guilt, worry, and self-blame
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities (i.e., anhedonia)
- Cognitive – identifying unhelpful and challenging or negative thinking patterns
- Behavioral – confronting the trauma in a safe environment such as role play, imagination