Grief of Trauma

Trauma

A traumatic event is defined as “an experience that causes physical, emotional, and psychological distress or harm. It is an event that is perceived as a threat to one’s own safety or to the stability of one’s world”

Examples of traumatic events include;

• Unexpected death of a family member or friend: car wreck, suicide, death to addiction
• Divorce
• Physical injury or illness
• Natural disaster such as tornado

Following the experience of a traumatic event, the survivors can experience anxiety, intrusive thoughts and flashbacks, along with possible sleep disturbances and appetite changes. Many times the symptoms will resolve within a month but if it does not then the survivor may be experiencing PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

PTSD can occur when the person is exposed to perceived or threatened death. This includes serious injury, finding a loved one dead from suicide or drug overdose, life threatened in natural disasters such as tornado, hurricane.

The intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and anxiety experienced in the month following the incident did not resolve and now PTSD is experienced.

Although a diagnosis of PTSD includes the threatened or perceived threaten of death, events that have not been life threatening can still produce the same symptoms as PTSD and can be addressed.

Specific techniques are incorporated to resolve the symptoms. Until the PTSD is resolved, there is an inability to access grief emotions in order to adjust to the loss experience.