Trauma can occur when a person experiences a situation where they feel distressed, threatened or out of control. This can include experiencing abuse, violence and in cases of accidents and injuries. It is therefore important that those who work in healthcare have undertaken Trauma informed training like those from tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training so they can understand the impact trauma can have on individuals and the way this can then impact any care that they may need to be given. It is important that the individual does find themselves in a situation where they can be re-traumatised.
Trauma can have a massive impact on an individuals mental health, but it can also have an impact on physical health as well. In the immediate aftermath of the traumatic event it is common for the individual to experience exhaustion. Anxiety, confusion and even dissociation and agitation. These are normal responses to a traumatic event and they are often self-limiting in that once a period of time has passed the effects of the event will decrease.
When there is a more severe traumatic response the individual may find that they have a period of continuous distress , intrusive thoughts and flashbacks and recollections of the event that can then lead to extreme dissociation symptoms. In some cases individuals may find that they have a delayed response to trauma and this can be displayed as persistent fatigue, nightmares, sleep issues, anxiety, depression and avoidance of emotions or certain places and situations.