If you have experienced a recent traumatic event NOW is the time to get support. Interventions immediately following a traumatic event help prevent the development of Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). Do not wait. Many people inaccurately believe that they need to “give it time” and do not take advantage of this crucial period of healing.
“This post provides recent trauma survivors with an understanding about the types of feelings and experiences common during the weeks after such terrifying and life altering events. When we have such knowledge we are less likely to feel frightened by the intense emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations that typically occur. As a result we deepen self-compassion for our symptoms and work with rather than against the body-mind connection to facilitate healing.”
-Dr. Arielle Schwartz
As human beings, we are wired for survival. We will respond with stress whether when we experience any difficult life event. Stress involves an increase in cortisols such as adrenaline into your bloodstream that facilitates a fight or flight response in your body. This prepares you to move in a way that metabolizes the energy released in your body. We are meant to move our bodies through running or self defense when threatened. Ideally when we reclaim safety the stress response resolves, your brain receives a signal to stop releasing these neuro-chemicals, and your cortisol levels return to baseline.
Trauma is typically understood to occur when we are in a situation that has life threatening implications with no actual or perceived exit. Typically we are trapped or immobilized that prevents us from engaging our defenses. In such a situation the body recognizes that fight and flight were unsuccessful and resorts to a “faint” or feigned death response.
You can think of it this way, a mouse is being chased by a cat. In the initial chase the mouse runs as fast as it can (flight). If the mouse makes it to the safety the rapidly beating heart and quickened breath will eventually subside (healthy stress response). When there is no place to hide the mouse runs without end exhausting resources (chronic stress). However, what if the mouse is caught by the cat? Once in the jaws of the cat the mouse faints in a last ditch attempt for survival. Perhaps the cat will mistake the mouse for dead and lose interest in the limp creature. This is traumatic stress.
Differentiating between an acute traumatic stress reaction and full-fledged PTSD provides an essential key to unlock healing. There are a wide range of sensations and emotions that occur in the weeks after a traumatic event and these do not mean you will develop PTSD. Symptoms common during the initial period of acute traumatic stress include
You can think of these experiences as your built-in biological protection mechanism that buffers you from the reality of the event.
When numbness subsides it is more likely to feel intense emotions such as fear, anxiety, and panic. You might also find yourself feeling depressed, helpless, or hopeless.
Like the old adage, it is better to get back on the horse that bucked you than. When we begin to avoid going to places or being with people that remind us of the trauma we are more likely to develop long term effects. PTSD is made up of symptoms that persist well after the event is over. Common symptoms include:
Many people suffering from PTSD seek out medications to manage these symptoms post trauma exposure. Unfortunately, the use of such medications suppresses the very physiological and psychological processes necessary to facilitate resolution. Historically, military services have relied on prescription drugs (primarily benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin) to help troops manage Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, as of 2012, the Army Surgeon General changed the military’s policy around prescribing benzodiazepines concluding the harm outweighs the benefits. This class of medications is now considered contraindicated for acute traumatic stress because they increase the likelihood of the development of PTSD. They are contraindicated for PTSD because they prolong the healing process.
You do not need to medicate your feelings. Intense emotions and sensations are your body’s natural adaptive healing process at work. Anxiety and panic are expected after trauma. These are signs of your mind and body seeking resolution after a traumatic event. However, if you do need support to “cut the edge off” of overwhelming emotions consider this a short term option rather than a long term solution.
In the wake of a trauma it is important to have strategies for healing. Otherwise we are more likely to lapse into passivity or feelings of helplessness. Resilience in the face of traumatic events does not always come naturally. Recovery from acute traumatic stress involves a mindset and behaviors that help you reclaim trust in yourself and the world.
Based upon the six pillars of resilience explore these action steps to facilitate your recovery during the acute phase of trauma recovery:
This post offers an excerpt from my book, The Complex PTSD Workbook, now available on Amazon! Click here to check it out.
Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a licensed clinical psychologist, wife, and mother in Boulder, CO. She offers trainings for therapists, maintains a private practice, and has passions for the outdoors, yoga, and writing. Dr. Schwartz is the author of The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole (Fall, 2016). She is the developer of Resilience-Informed Therapy which applies research on trauma recovery to form a strength-based, trauma treatment model that includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic (body-centered) psychology and time-tested relational psychotherapy. Like Dr. Arielle Schwartz on Facebook, follow her on Linkedin and sign up for email updates to stay up to date with all her posts.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a psychologist, internationally sought-out teacher, yoga instructor, and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma. She is the author of five books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook.
Dr. Schwartz is an accomplished teacher who guides therapists in the application of EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. She guides you through a personal journey of healing in her Sounds True audio program, Trauma Recovery.
She has a depth of understanding, passion, kindness, compassion, joy, and a succinct way of speaking about very complex topics. She is the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy in Boulder, Colorado where she maintains a private practice providing psychotherapy, supervision, and consultation. Dr. Schwartz believes that that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart.
