Fear and Anxiety

• Anxiety is a common and natural response to a dangerous situation and can sometimes last long after the trauma
• Your sense of feeling safe can be changed
• You may be more fearful now than before
• Triggers, or reminders of the trauma can cause anxiety and intense reactions in your body

Examples of Triggers: places, times of day, certain smells, noises, sounds, or any situation related to your trauma

Trauma Memories

• Troubling thoughts of the trauma that you can’t seem to get rid of
• Flashbacks, or very vivid images, as if the trauma is occurring again
• Nightmares are bad dreams that are related to the event

Increased Alertness

• Continuous alertness can lead to impatience and irritability, especially if you’re not getting enough sleep.
• Jitters, sensitivity, and hyper feelings can be due to the “fight or flight” response in your body.
• Trauma can cause an increase in adrenaline and stress hormones. This is how your body automatically prepares to react in case something bad happens again.
• People who have been through a trauma feel as though world is filled with more danger, which causes them to feel “on edge.”
• Another reaction to danger is to “freeze,” like the deer in the headlights.

Examples of Increased Alertness: feeling jumpy, jittery, shaky, being easily startled, having trouble concentrating, getting annoyed easily, and difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Avoidance

• Common way of distancing yourself for anything the reminds you of the trauma
• Often avoiding situations that are less directly related to the trauma
• Feeling numb (empty) physically and/or emotionally
• Detaching from others
• Painful thoughts or feelings may be so intense that your mind just blocks them out 

Anger

• You may feel angry at those closest to you, or just generally ticked off
• Anger can arise from a feeling that the world and what happened to you was not fair.

Examples of Anger: yelling, screaming, getting into fights, violence, or ignoring people more than usual. 

Guilt and Shame

• Many people blame themselves for things they did or didn’t do to survive
• You may feel ashamed because, during the trauma, you acted in ways that you would not otherwise have done
• Feeling guilty about the trauma means that you are taking responsibility for what happened, which can give you some control.
• Blaming yourself and feeling ashamed can cause you to feel helpless or depressed

Grief and Depression

• You may cry more often than usual
• You may lose interest in people and activities you used to enjoy
• You may also feel that plans you had for the future don’t seem to matter anymore, or that life isn’t worth living
• You may be grieving for someone or something you lost because of the trauma
• These feelings can lead to thoughts of wishing you were dead, or doing something to hurt or kill yourself.  If you are having these thoughts, please call 1-800-273-TALK

Examples of Depression: feeling sad or down, hopelessness, loss of interest in fun or friends, tearfulness, or despair

Alcohol or Other Substances

• People often increase their use of alcohol and drugs after a trauma
• This is sometimes used as a way to escape or feel numb to the pain
• Substance abuse can actually slow down your recovery and cause a lot more problems
• If you struggle with substance abuse since the trauma, it is usually helpful to talk to a counselor or other trusted adult.