When we experience something traumatic, it can cause us deep suffering both at the time of the event and for a long time afterwards. Anyone can experience trauma, and this may be as a child or as an adult. In all cases, it can have an impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

What is trauma?

There are many ways in which we can experience trauma and each person will experience it differently. Trauma may be linked to domestic violence or assaults, suffering emotional harm, a life-threatening experience or a bereavement.

How can trauma affect our mental health?

When we experience a traumatic event, our bodies enter ‘fight or flight’ mode. This is a rush of cortisol and adrenaline, designed by nature to give us the energy to fight the danger or run away. In fact, it is this combination of hormones which causes an impact on our health after the event.

Trauma can impact people’s mental health in a variety of ways. A traumatic event may cause people to feel frightened that something similar will happen again. It’s also possible to experience flashbacks of the event. As a result, people may feel hypervigilant and on edge. It is also common to feel shock at some time after the event, particularly if one has kept the details bottled up and not spoken to anyone about the trauma.

According to Mind, people can also feel a variety of emotions including grief, irritability, worry, anger, numbness, confusion or even shame following a traumatic incident.

Trauma can have an impact on the body’s physical health, too. We may experience more aches and pains than normal, headaches, tiredness, shaking, sweating or even memory problems.

For those professionals who support people who have experienced trauma, trauma informed practice training is key to gaining the right knowledge and expertise to assist them. Courses offered by specialist training providers such as https://www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training equip professionals with trauma informed practice training to this end.

Whatever the reason for someone’s trauma, appropriate therapy and support are key to returning to positive mental health.