Somatic Psychology

Any trauma is difficult for anyone involved. However for people who think that life has a meaning beyond survival, then the healing is much easier I believe.

I enjoyed this article. It's helpful information that is so relevant during this period of time when we are bearing witness to one disaster after another on a global level. I do agree that people can be impacted by second hand trauma, which means they don't have to necessarily have witnessed it or been involved in it in any direct way. Also it's important to recognize that most people who experience a trauma do report a lot of the reactions classified under PTSD, which if present for less than one month are labeled as an acute stress reaction. However, to clarify, research shows that most trauma survivors actually don't go on to develop PTSD. People, in other words, can and do recover naturally from trauma reactions and there are certain risk factors that can make some people more vulnerable to developing PTSD. Some risk factors include having a previous history of mental illness or having experienced multiple life stresses on top of the trauma, for example. There are also protective or resilient factors that can reduce the risk of developing PTSD, such as having access to healthy supports following the traumatic event(as mentioned in the article that can include when people come together to process the events and try to make meaning of the trauma). It's important to make sure people know that these are all normal reactions to abnormal situations. In my practice, I often hear people say "I must be crazy" or "There is something wrong with me." I want to clarify that many of the reactions we experience in response to trauma are normal and healthy, and often necessary in the short term in order to survive the intensity of the moment. It's when these reactions last for a long time afterward that they can start to interfere with one's life negatively and impact their day to day life satisfaction including ability to function in important life roles. That's when it becomes critically important to consider seeking out and accessing professional help in order to heal.