Following the death of someone close to you, you may experience many different physical and emotional reactions, from sleep disturbances such as insomnia, difficulty falling or staying asleep, recurring dreams and nightmares, to general feelings of anxiety, such as constant worry and fear about what will happen next, an inability to relax, or feel safe, and a need to feel more in control of your surroundings and environment. Following a death, there are two types of reactions you may experience. In many cases you will experience grief, which is identified by an underlying feeling of sadness and sorrow. In some cases, however, you may experience Traumatic Stress. Trauma reactions can be the same as grief reactions. They can include sadness, sorrow and a deep sense of loss. The underlying emotion, however, is fear. Almost any type of loss, or threatened loss can cause trauma reactions, as well as grief reactions.In order to recover after a Traumatic event there are many things you can do. While healing and recovery are a process that take time, how you take care of yourself, and how you view the event, can make a difference to your overall recovery. Here are some simple steps that you can take, right now, to help you as move through this process.
Instructions
1. Educate yourself. Knowing what to expect following a traumatic loss can make the reactions less frightening. Some of the things that you may experience are: vivid recollections of the event, including images, sounds, smells and other forms of sensory memories; nightmares that either directly reflect the trauma, or occur in similar places, have the same people, or repeat the same feelings that you experienced during the event; a feeling of anxiety and restlessness, including trouble concentrating, sitting still, or doing the things you normally would do; a vague feeling of worry--wondering what will happen next, having a sense of impending doom; feeling fearful and anxious, having difficulty feeling safe, regardless of your surroundings; a general loss of good feelings, an inability to enjoy the things you once did, it may seem as though you are unable to feel happy, or to experience joy.
2. Realize that what you are experiencing is normal. Many people express fear that they are "losing their mind" following a trauma. You need to know that your reactions are common to all people. You are not going crazy. You are not alone in what you are experiencing. People all around the world have similar reactions following a traumatic event.
3. Know that this pain does not last forever. Acute trauma reactions occur for about 6 to 8 weeks, following a traumatic event. Over that time you should begin to experience these reactions less and less often. If it has been longer than 8 weeks since your loss, and you are not feeling any better, it may be time to consider consulting with a counsellor who is trained in grief and trauma therapy. It is generally after 8 weeks that acute trauma begins to be considered Post Traumatic Stress. What this means is that you may need someone to help you to complete the normal healing process. Even if it has been years since your trauma and you still are feeling as if it was yesterday, a trauma intervention counsellor can help you finally move foward. While the memory will never completely go away, the pain will subside. You will be able to experience joy and happiness again.
4. Take good care of yourself. Following a trauma it is important that you take care of your body. Although you may not feel hungry, try to eat 3 times a day. Get plenty of fluids. If you are having trouble sleeping take naps during the day. Rest when you can. Give yourself permission to take it easy.
5. Listen to yourself. Do whatever it is you need to do to, in order to feel better. While well meaning friends and family may want you to "get out of the house" or to engage in other activities that you don't feel up to doing, it's ok to say no. Resist outside pressures. No-one knows what you need to do, in order to heal, except you. What worked for someone else, may not work for you. Your mind and your body will guide you through the process. Trust your own instincts, and pay attention to the signs that your body sends.
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