Each individual has their own unique level of resilience, which impacts how they will respond to a trauma. Some may cycle through the emotional event in a few weeks with few problems, while others may take months before they recover. If you are struggling with a protracted trauma response, consider taking this short quiz.
What is Trauma Response?
Trauma response is a measurement of how well you are managing the after effects of experiencing a trauma. A traumatic event is a shocking experience that causes psychological and emotional suffering.
Recovery from a traumatic event may look different for each person. Factors that impact trauma response include the individual’s level of coping skills, personality traits, temperament, and mental health history.
Examples of trauma include:
Treatment for Trauma Disorder
Mental health professionals access a range of therapies to assist individuals in overcoming the effects of trauma. Some therapies that can help the trauma response include:
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. TFCBT helps the individual overcome trauma by reshaping the thoughts associated with the trauma. TFCBT guides the individual to express their feelings about the traumatic experience. The therapist can then show them how those thoughts have led to withdrawal, guilt, loneliness, anxiety, and other negative emotion states. By discussing the negative thoughts, and then reframing them in a more positive light, the trauma loses its potency.
- Exposure Therapy. This is a short-term therapy that helps individuals become less sensitive to the memories of the trauma. By discussing the event within a safe environment, the impact of the trauma response is gradually reduced over time.
- Psychodynamic Therapy. This is a long-term form of therapy that examines childhood experiences, including any childhood history of trauma. The insights gained through psychodynamic therapy can help the individual resolve past childhood trauma, as well as to improve dysfunctional adult relationships in the present.
Trauma Response Quiz
Review Trauma Treatment Options