Trauma & PTSD : Causes, Symptoms & Professional Advice on How to Heal from it

In many cultures, including our South Asian context, traumatic experiences can be difficult to talk about. Experiences may be dismissed, minimised, or left unspoken, making it harder to recognise when someone is struggling with the effects of trauma.

Trauma can affect the way we think, feel, behave, relate to others, and experience our bodies. Understanding trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a first step towards recognising what you may be experiencing and approaching yourself with greater compassion.

What is PTSD? 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Trauma can affect people in very different ways, and experiencing a traumatic event does not necessarily mean that someone will develop PTSD. In fact, many people experience difficult reactions after trauma that gradually lessen over time.

For some people, however, these reactions persist and begin to interfere with everyday life. PTSD can involve intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, changes in mood and thinking, heightened alertness, difficulty sleeping, and feeling disconnected from oneself or the world around them.

What causes PTSD?

Experiences that may contribute to PTSD include:

• Sexual assault or abuse
• Physical assault
• Childhood abuse or neglect
• Domestic or intimate partner violence
• Serious accidents or injuries
• Natural disasters
• Exposure to war or violence
• Witnessing a traumatic event
• Sudden or violent loss
• Repeated exposure to traumatic events through work

Healthcare professionals, emergency responders, journalists, and others who are repeatedly exposed to trauma through their work may also be at increased risk.

However, there is no particular type of person who develops PTSD. Two people can experience a similar event and respond very differently. A person's previous experiences, support system, circumstances, and the nature and severity of the trauma can all influence how they respond.

What Are the Signs of PTSD? 

After a traumatic event, it is common to experience distress, anxiety, sadness, anger, difficulty sleeping, or trouble concentrating. These reactions do not automatically mean that someone has PTSD. PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist over time and cause significant distress or interfere with daily life.

PTSD symptoms can affect your thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and body. Common signs include:

• Intrusive memories: Flashbacks, distressing memories, or nightmares about the traumatic event.
• Avoidance: Avoiding people, places, conversations, or situations that remind you of the trauma.
• Changes in mood and thinking: Persistent fear, guilt, shame, anger, emotional numbness, or losing interest in things you once enjoyed.
  
• Heightened alertness: Feeling constantly on edge, being easily startled, difficulty sleeping, or experiencing angry outbursts.
  
• Difficulty concentrating: Trouble focusing, making decisions, or feeling mentally present.
  
• Feeling disconnected: Feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings, sometimes described as dissociation.

Can a Trauma Affect the Brain and Body? 

Trauma can affect the brain and nervous system, particularly the systems involved in threat detection, memory, emotion, and stress. This can influence how you respond to situations that feel unsafe, even after the immediate danger has passed.

After trauma, your nervous system may remain on high alert, making you feel constantly on edge, easily startled, or more sensitive to reminders of what happened. You may also experience changes in sleep, concentration, memory, or your body's stress responses.

• The amygdala: The amygdala plays an important role in detecting potential threats and triggering emotional responses. After trauma, it can become more reactive to perceived danger, contributing to feelings of fear, anxiety, or hypervigilance.
• The prefrontal cortex: The prefrontal cortex helps with attention, decision-making, and regulating emotional responses. Trauma can affect how effectively these processes work, which may contribute to difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or calming down after feeling threatened.
• The hippocampus: The hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory, including helping us understand when and where something happened. Trauma can affect how memories are processed and recalled, which may contribute to intrusive memories or a sense that a past experience is happening again.

However, it is important to note that the brain is capable of adapting and changing throughout life, a process known as neuroplasticity. With appropriate support and treatment, many people experience significant improvements in trauma-related symptoms.

What Are the Stages of Healing after a Trauma?

There are no specific "stages of healing" after a trauma because healing isn't a linear process, nor is it the same for everyone. It is important to not compare your journey with another person's. Instead, find strategies that work for you and help you manage overwhelming symptoms. 

How to Heal After Trauma? 

Healing after trauma often involves being supported by a mental health professional and confronting the root of the trauma. Remember that you might always carry a traumatic event with you, but you can learn to manage and overcome the stressful emotions that accompany it. 

There are also coping strategies you can try at home to help you feel more grounded during difficult moments. These can provide short-term relief, but they are not a substitute for professional support when trauma-related symptoms continue to affect your wellbeing.

3 Healthy Coping Mechanisms and Self-Care Practices that Support Trauma Recovery: 

• Try grounding techniques: Grounding can help bring your attention back to the present when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected. You can try:
• • 5-4-3-2-1 technique: Notice five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
    
  • Colour grounding: Look around you and identify objects that are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple.
    
  • Mindful breathing: Take slow, comfortable breaths and focus your attention on the sensation of breathing. You can try breathing in for four seconds, holding for four seconds, breathing out for four seconds, and repeating this a few times if it feels comfortable.
• Move your body: Physical activity can help release some of the tension that can accompany stress and help you reconnect with your body. Try an activity you enjoy, such as walking, swimming, running, dancing, playing a sport, or going to the gym.
• Create a simple routine: Trauma can make life feel unpredictable and overwhelming. Having a few consistent anchors in your day (such as regular meals, sleep, work or study, and time outside) can help provide a sense of structure and stability. You don't need to follow a rigid schedule; even a few predictable parts of your day can help.
  
  

What Is the Best Therapy for Trauma?

There is no single therapy that is best for everyone. The right approach depends on your experiences, symptoms, circumstances, and what feels appropriate for you. A trauma-informed mental health professional can help you understand your options and find an approach that fits your needs.

Some evidence-based therapies commonly used to treat PTSD and trauma-related symptoms include:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): A trauma-focused form of CBT that helps you explore how the traumatic experience may have affected your beliefs about yourself, other people, safety, trust, and responsibility.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A structured trauma-focused therapy that helps you process distressing memories while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or tapping.

Prolonged Exposure (PE): A structured therapy that gradually helps you approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that you may have been avoiding. Over time, this can help reduce avoidance and make these experiences feel more manageable.

Finding the right therapist can be an important part of recovery. You don't have to wait until things become overwhelming to ask for support.

If you recognise yourself, or someone you care about, in what you've just read, reaching out isn't a last resort. It's often where healing begins.

At Kare Counselling, we offer trauma-informed therapy for individuals working through PTSD and the effects of traumatic experiences. Our therapists can help you understand what you're experiencing and explore an approach that fits your needs.

To learn more about Kare Counselling or to book a session with one of our therapists:

Email: admin@karecounselling.com

WhatsApp: +919973689973

Website: www.karecounselling.com