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No one expects to experience a traumatic event, but it can happen to anyone at any time. Emotional, physical, and psychological trauma can disturb your sense of security, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, angry, and isolated. In some cases, an experience can be bad enough to cause post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD and trauma have a connection, but they're not the same thing. Counseling from an experienced trauma therapist in Maryland can help you understand trauma vs. PTSD and how they relate to you personally. For now, keep reading to learn the basics of trauma responses and how they can develop into a more serious condition.
Understanding PTSD vs. Trauma: What You Should Know
People may envision war, an assault, or a natural disaster when they think of traumatic events. Although experiences like that can be traumatizing, so can seemingly harmless events, such as changing schools repeatedly or getting harassed at work.
It's not the severity of the event that can cause trauma. It's how the event affects you physically, emotionally, and mentally.
The first thing to know about trauma vs. PTSD is that the former can cause the latter. Sometimes, people can process experiences quickly. In others, the event gets stuck in the mind, causing a person to relive it continuously.
Unprocessed or untreated trauma can turn into post-traumatic stress disorder, an official mental health diagnosis. PTSD symptoms are more severe than chronic stress symptoms and can impact daily functioning. The condition keeps the body in "fight or flight" mode due to nervous system overstimulation.
The Connection Between a Traumatic Event and the Development of PTSD
With PTSD, you could experience intense responses to thoughts, people, places, and events that remind you of a traumatic event weeks or months after the incident. Flashbacks and triggers are typical with this condition, but uncommon for trauma as a whole.
Common Effects of or Responses to Trauma
Regarding the effects of trauma vs. PTSD, you could have initial or delayed effects. Initial effects may include:
- Dissociation
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
- Sorry
- Anxiety
- Numbness to your emotions or environment
If you have delayed trauma effects, you could have ongoing exhaustion, depression, or nightmares. You may also avoid doing anything relating to the traumatic incident to avoid similar experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
Common Effects of or Responses to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
You could experience symptoms within one or more of the following categories:
- Mood and cognitive changes: You might have trouble remembering details of the event or develop a negative self-perception. It's also possible to stop enjoying hobbies you once loved.
- Re-experiencing: Flashbacks are one of the telltale signs of PTSD, as are frightening thoughts and vivid nightmares.
- Reactivity: Sometimes, people with this condition have trouble falling asleep or calming down after being frightened, which can happen more easily following a major trauma. They can also experience intense anger.
- Avoidance: Avoidance often includes thoughts, activities, and feelings involving events, places, circumstances, or people that remind you of the incident.
Early Treatment Options To Prevent PTSD Following Trauma
Seek early treatment for processing trauma and dealing with PTSD. Every person's healing journey differs, but there are several ways to minimize the most severe effects of both situations:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: Trauma-focused CBT helps reframe the thoughts surrounding a traumatic event to help patients reclaim their feelings of safety and security.
- Experimental therapies: Music therapy, adventure therapy, and art therapy use hands-on experiences to build trust and self-confidence.
- Dialectical behavior therapy: DBT gives patients essential coping skills and stress management techniques to help regulate triggers and emotions more effectively.
- Relaxation strategies: Going for a walk, praying, meditating, and using other relaxation techniques are good for coping with negative feelings.
- Grounding: If you feel disconnected or experience flashbacks, grounding techniques that use your five senses can help you regain control of your thoughts.
- Social support: One of the best ways to process trauma is to share your feelings and experiences with people you trust.
Take Control Over Your Life and Start Your Healing Journey Today
When it comes to trauma vs. PTSD, the most important thing to remember is that your emotional response to a traumatic event could turn into post-traumatic stress disorder without early help and support. However, you can find the help you need at Rose Wellness in Maryland.
Our private practice believes in making genuine connections between our experienced therapists and clients in a virtual setting. Our therapists can help with everything from recognizing and coping with PTSD triggers to providing care for BIPOC systemic trauma.
We're here to help. Call Rose Wellness today at (202) 681-1348 to schedule an appointment.
