Collectively, many of us have experienced trauma at some point this year with the pandemic. We’ve been grieving our lives on social media and on the news. We’re all feeling something, but we’re all experiencing it differently.

Trauma is an experience or situation that is emotionally distressing and can leave you feeling powerless. It is caused by something that happens unexpectedly, witnessing a tragic event, something that has happened repeatedly, by someone intentionally cruel, and/ or it happened during your childhood. A traumatic situation can change how your brain interprets information, which in turn can affect how safe and secure you feel. It can also affect your relationships and attachment style.

Following a traumatic event like the pandemic or a personal trauma, you are likely to experience a range of unfamiliar psychological, emotional, and physical reactions. Different people exposed to the same trauma may respond in different ways. You may not be aware of what your trauma response is. You may have difficulty in collecting your thoughts and handling your feelings about what has happened. In addition, you may begin experiencing triggers that leave you in flight, fight, or freeze..

Understanding your trauma is just as important as healing from your trauma. If you’re not sure if you’ve had trauma in your life, we can talk about it together.