WHAT IS A POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENT?
A potentially traumatic event is a powerful and distressing experience that is life threatening or poses a significant threat to a person’s physical or psychological well-being. Many events, past and present, have the potential to be traumatic, but not all events commonly perceived as traumatic will cause extreme distress for an individual. Some common examples of events that have the potential to cause trauma include interpersonal violence (including family violence, child abuse, elder abuse, physical or sexual assault), accidents (such as traffic or workplace accidents), and witnessing something terrible happen. Additionally, a family member going missing for an unknown reason, will be traumatic for the people involved. Sudden memories of previous events can also cause trauma. Indirect exposure can also cause trauma, for example witnessing others experiencing a traumatic event, learning that a traumatic event occurred to someone else, or repeated or extreme exposure to details of traumatic events.
HOW MIGHT SOMEONE REACT TO A POTENTIALLY TRAUMATIC EVENT?
It is important to know the initial responses that are common following a potentially traumatic event. However, be aware that people can react very differently, and you should not expect any particular reaction. You should know what signs and symptoms can indicate there is a problem after such an event, and also the range of symptoms that can occur long-term. You should also be aware that cultural differences may impact the way people respond, e.g. in some cultures, expressing vulnerability or grief around strangers is not considered appropriate.
It is common for people to feel greatly distressed immediately following a potentially traumatic event. People often experience emotional upset, increased anxiety, and disturbance to sleep or appetite. Other reactions might include sadness, guilt, fear or anger. Usually, these reactions settle down within a month. Only some people go on to develop a mental illness.
In next weeks article, we will look at how to talk about the person experience.
Until then, stay mentally safe.
