Trauma Q & A

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a natural response to major disturbing or shocking events or circumstances in your life. You may have trouble coping with your trauma long after the incident is over, which can significantly impact your overall mental health. 

What causes Trauma?

While there is no objective criteria to determine which events cause trauma and which don’t, individuals can identify traumatic events in their lives. Mental health professionals can also work with you to determine the source of your trauma. 

Some common traumatic events and circumstances include:

• The death of a loved one

• Natural disasters

• Violent crime

• Sexual abuse or assault

• Domestic abuse

• Auto accidents

Even if you didn’t experience the event yourself, just hearing about a traumatic event can impact your mental health. Your providers at Adrian Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic can help you determine where your trauma comes from and control the long-term effects it has on your well-being. 

What are the long-term effects of trauma?

Occasionally, trauma leads to a mental health condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Not everyone with trauma develops it, and trauma can have long-term effects regardless of whether you have PTSD.

Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD, which can last for years, decades, or even a lifetime, include:

• Sadness

• Anger

• Insomnia

• Nightmares

• Flashbacks

• Emotional outbursts

• Avoidance 

• Memory problems

You may attempt to avoid any reminders of a traumatic event or memory. You might also experience a loss of interest in your job, activities, and relationships. Others may notice that you become detached or withdraw from them. 

How Can I manage my Trauma?

Counseling and psychotherapy are valuable tools for dealing with trauma and learning coping strategies. Your providers at Adrian Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic can customize your course of treatment to include techniques that help you organize your thoughts and feelings in a beneficial way. 

Treatment for PTSD and other long-term effects of trauma, like depression, may also require medications of some kind. Prescriptions for PTSD include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and novel prescriptions to minimize nightmares. 

To learn more about trauma and explore coping strategies, call Adrian Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic, or book an appointment online today.