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Trauma (Questions & Answers)
Q. What kinds of reactions are common for people who experience a traumatic situation?
A. Extreme behaviors, feelings of anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks are expected immediately following the event. Unfortunately, isolation, substance abuse, domestic violence, self-harming behavior and suicide are also common following traumatic events. The sooner trauma victims and relief workers receive therapy, the more quickly they will recover. The message needs to get out that survivors are experiencing normal reactions to abnormal events and that these reactions will subside over time. Seeking qualified psychological help will help people cope with their feelings and can often reduce the time it takes to return to a "new" normal.Q. How can people who have been exposed to a traumatic situation help themselves to cope with what has happened?
A. People exposed to traumatic situations need to recognize that they may have abnormal experiences including flashbacks, nightmares, heightened anxiety, or emotional numbing. They should tell themselves that they are having normal reactions to an abnormal situation. By letting other people know how they are feeling, they can take advantage of the support others can offer. Talking about their experiences as early as they are able will help the psychological healing process begin. Sometimes, family members, clergy or neighbors can provide comfort. However, if the trauma is severe or sensitive, a specially-trained mental health provider should be seen.Q. Can therapy help? If so, in what ways?
A. The research is very clear that therapy can help survivors of traumatic events. Many survivors require only minimal treatment in which they are able to explore their thoughts and feelings and learn about how the mind and body react to trauma and how to effectively cope with the loss.Q. How can families help each other to survive a traumatic event?
A. Family support is the critical element of recovery from traumatic events. The parents play an important role with their children in establishing the guidelines of open communication, non-judgmental expression of feelings, and seeking competent help outside the family.Q. What fears enter into people's minds in the wake of a terrorist act?
A. One of the greatest fears is a loss of control. When people learn of a plane crash, some decide that they are never going to fly again. When they hear about a shooting incident, they decide that they are not going to visit certain sections of town. By making these decisions, people feel like they can control what is happening. In the instance of Oklahoma City, people felt a real loss of control. Here was a town that never makes the international news. Here were innocent children in a daycare center. But then we hear about their death -- and it's not from a natural disaster. Someone intentionally and maliciously blew up a building. The bombing shattered the illusions of security. People asked the question, "Where do you go to be safe?"Q. How can parents best help their children cope with a traumatic incident?
A. First of all, it helps to find out what the child's concerns are. If the child is concerned for the safety of their parent, you need to help the children identify how the parent is safe. Parents need to explain that they are safe when they leave the house and they are protected from harm.
If the kids are concerned for their own safety, you can discuss how to be safe. Ask the child what they need in order to feel safe. Have your child draw how they feel safe. When kids draw, they really can show what they feel and what they need.
Help the child to identify how they don't feel safe. The worst thing we could do is make an assumption of what the child is scared about. Instead of proscribing why they are scared, try to elicit what the scary feelings are. Try to reassure them about those concerns.
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