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The COVID-19 pandemic was a collective trauma for everyone – filled with grief, confusion and frustration. Although we have made great strides in treating and preventing COVID, for many, the trauma remains.
Dr. Kalpana Nathan, Medical Director of Psychiatry at El Camino Health’s Scrivner Center for Mental Health and Addiction Services says, “Life has become increasingly more challenging in the post-pandemic era with an increase in the number of potentially traumatic events (PTE) that we all may encounter.”
In times of uncertainty and change, it’s important to check on the people we care about, because the key to helping others through a tough time is simply knowing what’s going on and being there for them. We spoke with experts to help you recognize the signs.
How do you understand someone else’s trauma?
It is not necessarily possible to understand someone’s trauma unless you have experienced the same event. But a good first step is identifying traumatic events that you know a person has gone through. Doing so can help you in recognizing when someone may be struggling with trauma.
“Trauma shatters our sense of self, our sense of the world. It is as though the rug got pulled out from under one’s feet, leaving us dangling with nothing to hold on to or ground oneself with,” says Nathan.
What are some common traumatic events?
Nathan describes myriad scenarios that could be considered traumatic. Should someone confide in you that they’ve experienced any of these things, it can help you better understand them if you suspect they are struggling with trauma. Such traumatic events include:
- Natural disasters
- Abuse and neglect occurring in childhood
- Sexual assault
- The sudden, unexpected death of a close friend or family member
But Nathan stresses, “Not all traumatic experiences lead to PTSD and other psychiatric conditions such as depression, and it is also possible to experience post-traumatic growth. When we talk of resilience, we think of it as bouncing back to where we were before.”
What are five common signs a person is reacting to trauma?
Dr. Adam Brown is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Director of Trauma Systems Therapy Training.
“The most common way of thinking about trauma is the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder,” he says. “If they were exposed to an overwhelming event there are several different categories of symptoms you look for.” Brown describes these categories:
- Re-experiencing or intrusion symptoms. “That is a person who in specific moments starts to experience their current environment as being threatened, even if it is relatively safe. They start to relive this experience of trauma and may even have a full-on flashback. They are in a disassociative state, meaning they are not grounded in where they are or what’s going on around them. This can be disconcerting to the people around them because they might not respond when you talk to them, or they may even stare right through you, or even be talking to people who aren’t there.”
- Avoidance symptoms. “People tend to avoid, either consciously or unconsciously reminders of traumatic events.” And if the trauma was interpersonal, meaning one person harming another, there could be avoidance of social contact.
- An increased sense of fight-or-flight. Brown explains that someone that is easily startled or has an exaggerated startled response could be a sign of trauma.
- Agitation or aggression.
- Harder time having a positive outlook.
Brown adds, “Now many of those symptoms can look like other things, right? So without knowing what a person’s experience was, it could be hard to know that these symptoms can be a response to trauma..”
If you or someone you know is suffering from exposure to trauma, Nathan advises, ”It is helpful to talk with someone with whom you can build a trusting relationship, to help reconstruct your narrative and worldview; (a person) who can accept wherever you might be with compassion and nonjudgement.”
Read more about stress, trauma and PTSD here:
What exactly is trauma? Paris Jackson said the paparazzi traumatized her.
Trauma isn’t just psychological:It can impact your body too.
‘You’re so mature for your age’ isn’t always a compliment. Sometimes it’s from trauma.
Feeling stressed? Tips for how to reduce stress in your daily life
Can stress make you sick? The answer might surprise you.
More:Kathy Griffin reveals ‘complex PTSD’ diagnosis, talks ‘8-hour’ panic attack
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