Does talking about trauma make it worse?
Talking about the trauma, even just trying to put what happened into words, can actually worsen a victim’s trauma by re-activating it in the brain, and embedding it deeper. Getting people to ‘relive’ their trauma is not therapy.
Does talking help with trauma?
From feeling less alone to getting support to making meaning, talking about trauma can help you make sense of your experience. The Savvy Psychologist Dr. Ellen Hendriksen explains. Too often, we don’t talk about the worst things that have happened to us.
What is trauma reenactment syndrome?
When they encounter a threatening situation, trauma survivors may reexperience their old, unresolved feelings of terror and helplessness. These feelings will then overwhelm their psyches and prevent them from taking appropriate action, thus leading to a reenactment and revictimization.
How do you talk through trauma?
Trauma often occurs person-to-person—assault, rape, crime, violence, atrocities of war, mass shootings. Even traumas that aren’t strictly interpersonal, like natural disasters or medical emergencies, materialize in a social context. How others react to your trauma may play a role in how you either recover or struggle.
Can a therapist traumatize you?
The worst case is when therapy is actively destructive, either re-traumatizing you or causing new psychological harm. The bad news is that something as well-intentioned as seeking healing by going to therapy can backfire.
How do you know if you have forgotten trauma?
low self-esteem. mood symptoms, such as anger, anxiety, and depression. confusion or problems with concentration and memory. physical symptoms, such as tense or aching muscles, unexplained pain, or stomach distress.
What is revictimization?
transitive verb. : to victimize (someone) again : to make a victim of (someone) again “This scam revictimized families who were already suffering from the collapse of the housing market.”— Eric Schneiderman.
What is hyperarousal in PTSD?
Hyperarousal is a severe symptom of PTSD, a disorder which can dramatically change your life. Your fight-or-flight response is perpetually turned on, and you are living in a state of constant tension. This can lead to a constant sense of suspicion and panic.
What is complex trauma?
Complex trauma describes both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events—often of an invasive, interpersonal nature—and the wide-ranging, long-term effects of this exposure. These events are severe and pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect.
How does processing trauma work?
How does it work? Engaging in trauma therapy includes looking at our trauma from different perspectives, considering new information and helping our brain make sense of the experiences we’ve had. Trauma therapies examine our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and actions.
What happens when you refuse to work through emotional trauma?
Refusal or avoidance of working through emotional trauma and negative emotion means these feelings are housed within you— allowing them to subconsciously deplete you of your energy and resources, and potentially lead to depression, addictive behaviours and other symptoms of imbalance.
What to do during a trauma training session?
When facilitating activities, be sure to acknowledge the potentially difficult nature of the material and encourage people to take breaks and ask for support as needed. Set Ground Rules. Trauma is a sensitive and difficult topic that may remind participants of their own experiences and trigger various responses during the training session.
What should be included in a trauma activity packet?
INTRODUCTION This Activity Packet accompanies the Understanding Trauma and Its Impact slide presentation and includes activities and discussion questions for use during in-person training sessions.
How long does it take to complete the trauma packet?
Completing all activities in this packet in conjunction with the Understanding Trauma and Its Impact in-person slide presentation is likely to take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. The training can be broken into shorter segments to accommodate staff schedules.