A traumatic event is one in which a person believes his or her life or physical integrity, or someone else’s life or physical integrity, is being threatened. This can include events such as assault, accident, or injury. It can also be a result of disturbing on-going situations such as living amongst violence or with terminal illnesses. Trauma affects each person differently; however, survivors often experience unwanted feelings of fear and helplessness.

Some common feelings that people may experience post-trauma include:

• Fear and anxiety
• Guilt and shame
• Anger and rage
• Sadness and hopelessness
• Numbness

People often experience physical symptoms as well, such as:

• Feeling restless or on edge
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep (including nightmares)
• Increased heart rate and shortness of breath

Although we cannot erase a person’s traumatic experiences, our providers can help you process the experiences that you’ve had and help get you to a point at which you have more control over your memories of the event(s), rather than the memories controlling you.