By: Denise Williams, L.A.C.
If you’ve ever experienced or witnessed a traumatic event – such as a natural disaster, a violent car accident, military combat, or a physical or sexual assault – you are not alone.
At least half of Americans have gone through some sort of traumatic event in their lives, according to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Trauma affects people differently and for some, it can take an emotional toll that becomes too heavy to bear on their own.
At Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, women and men who have experienced trauma have access to a range of programs to help them overcome the impact of trauma and lead happier and healthier lives.
A Common Occurrence
Trauma is an event or a series of events that someone experiences personally, or witnesses, which overwhelms their ability to cope. Trauma may damage a person’s very soul and may also be so terrifying that they bury the experience.
Some people try to erase the pain of trauma by not speaking about it, by numbing their feelings or by engaging in behavior that will allow them to forget – if even just for a moment.
Regardless of the response, trauma can have lasting adverse effects on a person’s daily functioning including mental, physical, social, emotional and/or spiritual wellbeing.
Traumatic events can include:
- Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes.
- Manmade disasters, such mass shootings, terrorist attacks or chemical spills.
- Exposure to war, terrorism or political violence, such as bombings or shootings.
- Military combat. This can affect both the person who is deployed and their family.
- Violence, including domestic violence.
- Sexual assault.
Trauma is common in the United States, with women more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse, while men are more likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster, or bear witness to death or injury.
Consider that the prevalence of domestic violence among women in the United States may be as high as 44 percent, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), and that upward of 25 percent of women have experienced sexual abuse in childhood or adulthood.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one in 10 men have experienced trauma related to sexual assault.
Additionally, according to research by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, the majority of youth involved with the juvenile justice system have experienced trauma, including child abuse or witnessing domestic violence.
However, since many traumas are not reported due to shame, guilt, stigma, lack of education, and myriad of other reasons, professionals who treat trauma survivors suspect these statistics may be incomplete.
Lifetime Effects
Trauma affects everyone differently depending on a variety of factors, including biology, genetics and environment. Some people are also more vulnerable to the effects of trauma than others.
Symptoms of trauma vary from person to person, but can include:
- Reliving the event or having flashbacks.
- Avoiding things that remind you of the event.
- Feeling sad or emotionally numb.
- Feeling on edge, jumpy, nervous or hyper-vigilant.
- Feelings of unjustified shame or guilt.
- Loss of interest in things.that used to bring enjoyment.
- Irritability or anger.
- Issues with relationships.
- Difficulty discerning healthy boundaries or safe relationships.
- Trouble at work or school.
- Eating disorders.
- Substance abuse or misuse.
- Body sensations that make it distressingly uncomfortable to be touched by anyone regardless of how benign.
- Self-harm, attempted suicide, or completed suicide.
Often, people who experience trauma may not recognize they are experiencing symptoms. If they do, many may try to manage its effects on their own rather than seekhelp, which typically causes problems to worsen over time.
Treatment Can Help
For survivors of trauma, there is treatment, and thankfully, there is hope.
At Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, treatment includes a comprehensive evaluation and medical management by a board certified psychiatrist, an individualized recovery plan, group and individual therapy, coping and life skills training, education on maintaining physical and emotional health, family sessions and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for better emotional control.
Therapists use DBT informed-therapy to help clients learn healthier behaviors and techniques to manage and control their symptoms. Trauma education also helps clients understand how trauma impacts their behaviors and their relationships.
Treatment also helps individuals learn to:
- Understand the relationship between trauma and psychiatric symptoms.
- Establish and maintain safety.
- Understand basic coping and relationship-building skills.
- Avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse.
- Build self-esteem and self-confidence through self-empowerment.
- Increase self-compassion and self-care.
Princeton House offers separate, specialized programs for men and women. Depending on the needs of clients, treatment options include a partial hospital program six hours per day,five days per week or an intensive outpatient program
Be Kind to Yourself
If you have experienced a traumatic event, no matter how resilient you think you are, it is important to take care of your emotional health.
Be kind to yourself, and if you are experiencing symptoms, recognize that you are not to blame. Recognize also that treatment can be difficult and recovery takes time.
Yet the sooner you seek help, the sooner you can begin to heal and go on to a life of hope.
To learn more about the trauma programs at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health visit www.princetonhouse.orgor call 888-437-1610.
Denise Williams, L.A.C., is a licensed associate counselor and primary therapist with the Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health Women’s Program in North Brunswick.