Invest In YOURSELF: Ask For Help

“Asking for help is never a sign of weakness. It's one of the bravest things you can do. And it can save your life.”― Lily Collins

Signs You Need Help To Deal With Your Trauma

After experiencing a traumatic event, you may think you are coping just fine.

However, what you may not realize is that believing you are fine - and telling others that you are - is often one of the most common trauma responses.

Just like being in fight or flight mode, which are two other common types of trauma responses, claiming that you are fine is often the result of being in self-denial.

Unfortunately, if you are in denial that you need help to cope with a traumatic event, your healing journey could be worsened.

Remember, no one should deal with trauma alone; it takes connection, therapy, and the right tools to help bring you back to the present and move forward.

Here are six signs you need help to deal with your trauma:

You Are Experiencing Flashbacks

Though not everyone will develop PTSD after a traumatic event, the Department of Veterans Affairs believes that at least six out of 100 people will develop it and experience its symptoms throughout their lifetime.

One of these most common symptoms is experiencing flashbacks.

Flashbacks bring someone back to the traumatic event, often resulting in them experiencing the same level of fear and anxiety they did at the moment.

Flashbacks can also lead to physical symptoms, such as swearing and dizziness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, flashbacks and other PTSD-related symptoms can get worse over time and manifest in times of high stress.

The Mayo Clinic recommends seeing a doctor: “If you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, if they are severe, or if you feel you are having trouble getting your life back under control.”

You Are Becoming Physically Sick

After experiencing a traumatic event, we often think that the most significant toll it will take is on our mental health, but trauma can affect our physical health, as well.

After all, if you are experiencing high levels of anxiety, you are also likely to experience physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweatiness, dizziness, headaches, stomach aches, joint pain, and feelings of pins and needles in your extremities.

While these feelings can be attributed to other things, such as having a headache if you are going through caffeine withdrawal or dehydration, persistent symptoms should be a sign that you need to seek help to deal with your trauma.

No one deserves to constantly feel sick or in pain, especially when there are remedies readily available.

You Are Relying on Drugs or Alcohol to Cope

This is perhaps one of the most prominent signs that you need help dealing with your trauma.

Drugs and alcohol are often used as methods of escapism to avoid the pain or memory associated with the traumatic event.

However, these can lead you down a dangerous path that will take even more away from you.

Aside from the serious physical ailments that could result from substance abuse, like cancer, dementia, stroke, and high blood pressure, substance abuse can make you reliant on the chemicals these substances release, making it harder to ween yourself off them.

If you are using drugs or alcohol to cope or even find yourself drinking more often than normal, seek help immediately by calling or texting 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

They offer substance abuse support around the clock and can get you the needed help.

You Struggle to Find Happiness

Hardships can knock you down!

While it is normal to feel down occasionally, it becomes a problem when you struggle to find and feel any sort of joy or happiness in your life.

Seek trauma help if you are feeling socially withdrawn, losing interest in hobbies and activities you once loved, feeling hopeless, or finding it hard to experience any positive emotions.

These symptoms could all be signs of PTSD and depression, both of which are common after experiencing trauma.

You Have Insomnia

For those with trauma, insomnia may present itself days, weeks, months, or even years after experiencing the event.

While the biggest sign of insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep, it can also manifest in waking up earlier than normal or feeling fatigued after you do.

It is important to recognize what is causing insomnia.

While most people experience a difficult night’s sleep or two once in a while, chronic insomnia is often a side effect of mental health conditions, as those with anxiety and depression are often at higher risk of developing it.

Because of this, the root cause of insomnia must be treated first rather than solely treating the insomnia.

You are Finding it Hard to Work

In the same vein as having trouble sleeping or finding joy, you might also start finding it difficult to focus on work.

If you constantly worry about something bad happening to you again, you are not leaving much room for your brain to focus on anything else.

This includes work.

Suppose you find yourself making careless mistakes, forgetting how to do things, calling out of work, procrastinating your assignments, or having trouble staying organized.

In that case, you may be experiencing a common trauma response known as brain fog.

Brain fog is a common symptom of trauma.

The downside is that if you cannot work efficiently, you may lose your employment, which can only further exacerbate your symptoms.

This is why if you notice performance-related changes at work or home, you should seek help from a mental health professional.

There is no shame in seeking mental health help from a trusted professional.

As with most traumas, they are incredibly difficult to manage by oneself.

Invest In YOURSELF! Knowing the signs that you need help to deal with your trauma is the first step in taking your life back.

It Starts With YOU!

References

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9545-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd#:~:text=If%20their%20symptoms%20do%20not,what%20your%20friend%20is%20experiencing.

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I Am Jeanne Muhammad, Your Global Happiness Expert, A Spiritual Healer

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