The 6 types of reactions to a traumatic event (and their characteristics)

We all know someone or have even experienced a traumatic event ourselves. Whether it is a car accident, a natural disaster, a trauma caused by another person, a fire or an assault, it is more than studied that it leaves an imprint on our brain.. In fact, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to hyperactivity in those areas of the brain that process fear and, in turn, a hypoactivity in the frontal areas in charge of decision-making, solution of problems etc

You may be wondering: What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? It is a mental health illness that appears after a frightening situation either because you have experienced it or witnessed it. The symptoms can begin within a month after exposure to the traumatic event, but it is curious that there are times when they do not appear until years later. The symptomatology completely interferes in the daily life of the affected person as well as in their interpersonal, loving or work relationships.

It can be intuited that the range of emotions, feelings and reactions to a trauma is very broad since it depends a lot on the nature of the event, the age of the person, the amount of support the person receives after the incident, if they have had any traumatic experiences before and of course, their physical and mental health in the moment. Thus,

it is crucial not to judge or belittle behaviors that stem from trauma.

In today's article, based on scientific evidence, we will analyze the different reactions that can be had in the face of a traumatic event. The most common can be grouped into a variety of psychological, emotional, physical, and behavioral responses. We want to emphasize that these are completely normal reactions and, in most cases, they disappear as part of the natural recovery process. In those cases that last for years, it is when we could begin to talk about the PTSD discussed above.

• We recommend you read: "Emotional trauma: what it is and how to detect it"

What is trauma?

Since we're going to be mentioning trauma throughout this article, we'd like to pause on what exactly trauma is. The word comes from the Greek and means wound. That is to say, It is a lasting wound that can be caused by suffering intense fear or even by feeling unable to adequately handle danger.. As we mentioned before, not everyone follows the same line when it comes to behavior after trauma and in fact, there are 3 different types of trauma that we should mention:

• acute trauma: Occurs from a single stressful or dangerous event.
• chronic trauma: Arises due to repeated and prolonged exposure to highly stressful events. A clear example is child abuse.
• complex trauma: By exposure to multiple traumatic events.

Can a person develop the symptoms, experience the same sensations and carry out behavior patterns similar to those who have suffered a traumatic situation/event? The answer is yes and it is known as secondary or vicarious trauma. It happens a lot in professionals of health care services, emergencies, social or civil protection and in general all those jobs that work daily with trauma, suffering, fragility and vulnerability.

We are referring to significant emotional exhaustion on the part of this group of people. Traumatic events can be isolated events, or continuous or repeated. However, there is an organization in the UK called Mind that lists the following potential causes of trauma:

• Harassment
• Harassment
• Physical, psychological or sexual abuse
• sexual assault
• Traffic accidents
• Giving birth
• Life-threatening diseases
• Sudden loss of a loved one
• be attacked
• Suffer a kidnapping
• acts of terrorism
• Natural disasters
• War

Of course we want to make it clear that any traumatic experience is valid and has the right to be approached with empathy and care. After all, any experience with a devastating force for the person, be it because of their values, ideologies, principles, or meaning of life, can trigger a trauma.

Reactions to a traumatic event

Such is the variety in reactions to trauma that if 4 people went through the same event, all 4 may react completely differently. In other words, the same event is capable of causing trauma in some people and not in others.

1. emotional reactions

The most common emotional reaction to trauma is fear and anxiety. It is completely normal to feel fear when experiencing something terrifying and in fact, experts affirm that fear after trauma can be even worse than at the time of the trauma, and undeniably lasts longer. You may feel like the fear is finally subsiding but something triggers a reminder of the trauma and the intense fear returns. Fortunately, for most people the fear lessens over time.

Feelings of anger may come up after a trauma. Anger towards the person who has caused us the difficult moment or we even feel angry with ourselves for what has happened. It is also common to find yourself more irritable than normal and that it is difficult for us to understand why we are exploding with the people around us.

Crying and feeling sad is another emotional reaction. It is normal to feel overwhelmed by a world in which everything seems terribly threatening.. Furthermore, mourning is totally common when we talk about traumas involving the loss of someone close.

Blaming oneself for not having reacted differently or for certain actions we take is an emotional response to trauma. There are people who feel responsible for what has happened to them, as if they had somehow caused it.

Finally, feeling emotionally off, as if we don't have positive emotions and we feel that everything is slowing down. It is part of the numbness process that certain people suffer from living an experience difficult, which after all, is part of the defense mechanisms used by our brain and body.

2. physical reactions

Upset stomach and trouble eating. Trouble sleeping and feeling very tired. Pounding heart, rapid breathing, sweating, muscle tension, fatigue, constantly feeling nervous, among many others.

3. freezing reaction

It is a way of reacting that our brain chooses in situations of extreme threat. We take it for granted that we can't do anything, that we can't escape, and therefore we don't find strategies to defend ourselves from danger. It is as if fear paralyzes us and our body and mind are absolutely incapable of reacting to the situation.

When a few hours or days go by, it is common for us to wonder why we reacted like this and how we did nothing at the time.. This is a dangerous time as negative feelings such as guilt, anger, rage, sadness and even shame that we discussed earlier emerge.

4. flight reaction

Another response to damage is to flee. As the word says, it means escaping from a situation. They are people who cannot keep still and use all their strength to avoid and escape from the situation.

5. fight reaction

It is the attitude to fight and defend both oneself and the people around them.. They become violent, aggressive and ultimately seek to fight what is happening to them.

6. behavioral reactions

There may be changes in behavior after trauma. First of all, many people start not to trust the people around them. When going through a terrifying experience, it's hard to know who we can trust and who can't. We may start to be suspicious of everyone, because if one person could hurt me, why couldn't this other?

Constantly looking around for threats is common as these people don't want pain to catch them off guard again. Therefore, they are in a state of constant hypervigilance that prevents them from leading a fulfilling life. They feel on edge all the time.

Social, work, love isolation, irritability, insomnia are other clear examples of behavioral reactions to a traumatic event.

conclusions

If you have felt identified with the article and have recently gone through a traumatic event, we advise you talk to someone you trust in your environment to whom you can tell your experiences, reactions, emotions and thoughts. Of course, if you feel that the situation is overwhelming you, go to a professional so that you can return to a fulfilling and fulfilling life.

Also, if someone close to you has recently gone through a scary time, we advise you to offer your support or recommend that they go to psychological therapy.. Remember that in the worst moments of our lives, the unconditional support of others saves us.