| What do you do to cope with your past trauma | | | | impulses, impulsivity, and constant eruptions of |
| experiences? | | | | interpersonal conflict in an ever-narrowing social |
| This article is fourth in a multi-part series about | | | | sphere." -Belleruth Naparstek, Invisible Heroes: |
| the impact of trauma. What follows is a summary | | | | Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal |
| of what has been included in previous articles. | | | | Avoiding "Normal" Activities |
| Physical Effects | | | | Because trauma survivors are so afraid that they |
| Survivors of trauma are likely to experience | | | | will panic or have other overwhelming feelings in |
| health challenges post-trauma that relate to the | | | | public, many of them hide out and isolate. But |
| tremendous stress they are experiencing and the | | | | then they respond to that isolation with shame |
| toll it takes on their bodies. Autoimmune disorders | | | | that they are unable to do the normal things that |
| are not an unusual long-term effect, like chronic | | | | other people do. |
| fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid | | | | Or they may not isolate completely, but find that |
| arthritis, and lupus among others. | | | | they avoid a specific person or activity related to |
| Cognitive Effects | | | | the trauma. |
| Trauma survivors often are troubled by intrusive | | | | Relationship Issues |
| thoughts, trauma memories, flashbacks, | | | | Trauma often makes the survivor's most |
| nightmares, distorted time, and difficulty focusing | | | | important relationships their most difficult ones... |
| or concentrating. They also may have trouble | | | | 1) They often have great difficulty expressing |
| with remembering details and may have a | | | | their feelings. |
| tendency to dissociate as a way to escape | | | | 2) They find it hard to tell their loved ones what |
| post-traumatic stress. | | | | they need. |
| Emotional Effects | | | | 3) They deal with sometimes constant irritability |
| As time goes on, post-trauma, survivors are likely | | | | that can erupt suddenly into anger, making them |
| to become increasingly anxious, experiencing panic | | | | unpleasant to be around. |
| attacks and remembered terror. They also are | | | | 4) Their moods change seemingly without |
| likely to experience shame, numbness, | | | | warning, often because they have been triggered |
| hopelessness, despair and rage. | | | | in some way by something that reminds them of |
| This article will focus on what shows up in the | | | | the trauma. |
| survivor's behavior, what they struggle with as a | | | | They often are overprotective of their own |
| way to cope with the overwhelming effects of | | | | children and family members. On a positive note, |
| the trauma. | | | | this makes the likelihood that they will become |
| Behavioral Effects | | | | abusers, if their trauma was abuse, considerably |
| To begin, here is a classic behavior pattern that | | | | less than is often reported by popular media. |
| many trauma survivors experience as a result of | | | | These behaviors are some of the ways survivors |
| post-traumatic stress... | | | | respond to post-traumatic stress. The next article |
| "elaborate avoidance of many activities, substance | | | | in this series will complete the list of behavioral |
| abuse, compulsive eating, phobias, isolation, | | | | effects of trauma and following that, we will look |
| repetitive involvement in exploitative relationships, | | | | at how to use guided imagery to heal |
| a tendency to court disaster... self-mutilating | | | | post-traumatic stress. |