At some point in our lives, most of us will live through a terrifying event. It could be a car accident, a natural disaster, a medical emergency, a fireor perhaps a trauma inflicted by another person in the form of assault, abuse, military combat, or even being robbed. Trauma can also come from seeing another person be seriously hurt or killed, the loss of a child, a child’s illness, or learning about something awful that happened to a person we love.
Whatever the source, trauma leaves its imprint on the brain. The source of trauma can cause multiple, compounding issues if not treated including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic syndrome (PTSD), unstable relationships, eating disorders, and much more like reliving the actual trauma over and over again.
While everyone’s reaction to trauma is unique, there are common reactions, and knowing what they are can be helpful as we can all recover.