Psychological trauma means either witnessing a trauma or experiencing trauma. Either one can be disturbing or even terrifying. Psychological trauma affects how our brain functions. Psychological trauma affects our psyche. There is likely damage or an interruption in our psyche because of the shocking event we experienced or witnessed, so functioning normally after a disturbance or frightening experience may be difficult. We may not be able to cope or handle ourselves or our problems as we did before the trauma.

In addition to shock, the result of psychological trauma could also be fear, anger, or denial. Signs that the traumatic event is still affecting can manifest as frustration, irritability, or being on edge without cause. Another sign is that we may be startled easily as if we are expecting another trauma. We may become hypervigilant, scanning the horizon and looking for expected trauma to find us.

Psychological trauma concerns can be emotional, as well. Anxiety, panic attacks, fear, and anger may ensue. Psychological trauma may also result in obsessive and compulsive behaviors. Disbelief is sometimes the outcome of a terrifying event, including emotional numbing or detachment. Someone that has been traumatized may become depressed. Guilt and shame (very low-vibrational frequencies) can result, especially if the traumatized person survived the event when others did not.

Psychological trauma is different for different people, depending on past experiences. If this is the first accident or death witnessed by a person for example or the first trauma, they will have a different type of reaction than someone that has been in other accidents or witnessed many deaths or traumas and is thus compounded in its effect. Someone that has been traumatized many times may react more intensely and more deeply, such as military soldiers, and it may be harder to help them.

Dissociation, in which a person mentally disconnects themselves from the experience, often occurs in people after more intense or more frequent traumatic experiences as a survival technique. With dissociation, the person may even feel detached from their physical body as a defense mechanism from experiencing sadness, depression, and anger at the event or experiencing shame and guilt for surviving the event. Dissociation may prevent feelings of unworthiness for surviving when others did not.

Anyone that has experienced psychological trauma needs to feel empowered and hopeful about the future and life in general. It is easy for the traumatic experience to cloud the future with doom and gloom, taking over the psyche and affecting decision and problem-solving capabilities because of perceiving the world from a low-vibrational state of being.

For more information about Dr. Anne M. Deatly, call 201-925-1046 or email [email protected].