Many people experience a wide variety of feelings and thoughts following a traumatic crisis. You may feel:

· Confused about what happened

· Out of touch with yourself, or that you're unreal

· Intense feelings of anger, guilt or shame

· Numb

· A desire to run away

· Hatred toward those who cause the incident

· Exhausted, but also keyed up and tense

· Unable to sleep, or wanting to sleep all the time.

· Unable to eat, or wanting comfort food

· Unable to stop thinking about the incident

· Betrayed by those who might have prevented the incident

· That you want to be left alone

· The need to talk about it, or conversely, that you don’t want to talk about it

· Uncontrollable crying or laughing

These are all normal responses that arise in the aftermath of a traumatic crisis and are likely to persist over a period of days or weeks. Sometimes these responses persist for much longer.

Know that THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU. You are recovering from trauma. It takes time for these thoughts and feelings to subside.

Be gentle and loving with yourself. Take care of yourself:

· Get plenty of rest, and eat properly.

· Exercise. (Vigorous exercise helps your body get rid of stress hormones.)

· Talk about what happened when you feel ready.

· Journal.

· Meditate, pray, listen to soothing music.

· Engage in activities that increase your sense of safety and pleasure.

· Take life a little slower, and give yourself permission to take breaks.

· Seek help from someone who can understand your experience.

Don’t judge yourself for having these feelings; and don’t minimize your experience or your feelings. Give yourself time and space to adjust and regain perspective.

However, if these feelings are severe enough to impair your ability to function or you find yourself “stuck,” get help. Some traumas do not go away on their own, and it is important to seek competent help. Here are a few signs that you might need professional help:

· Feeling keyed up and/or hypervigilant most of the time, even when you know that you are safe

· Nightmares or night terrors

· Intrusive thoughts abut the incident; unwanted flashbacks

· Inability to manage your feelings; over-reacting to small triggers

· Avoidance of people, places or activities you associate with the trauma

· Intense desire to withdraw from important relationships

· Episodes of dissociation (“spacing out”)

There are many treatments available to help your work through trauma: EMDR (Eye- Movement De-sensitization and Reprocessing), trauma-focused cognitive therapies, somatic experiencing therapy, Sensori-Motor therapies, among others. These are modalities that have strong research evidence that supports their effectiveness. Therapists who are trained in trauma treatment can recommend what might be best for you.