Reactions to Trauma

What is trauma?

Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms our ability to cope and makes us feel helpless.  Someone experiences trauma if they experience or witness: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence.

What kind of reactions do people have to trauma?

When a person has experienced a shocking, unexpected or traumatic incident they are likely to develop deep emotional and physical shock or stress. These reactions are normal, but will be very unique, personal and individual.

The most common reactions to trauma are:

• Freeze or flop -Not able to move
• (Be)friend – trying to make the situation less dangerous by doing what the perpetrator wants

If we have experienced a traumatic event it can impact on us in different ways after the event has stopped.   Below are some typical reactions that people can experience after a trauma.

If you have experienced trauma and want to talk about how it has affected you there is support available, trauma impacts can be reduced by talking to people who understand trauma, through self care, and through specialist trauma counselling. We are here if you want to talk, details for our helpline are here.