Articles
Trauma Responses
Physical Responses
- Nervous energy, jitters, muscle tension
- Upset stomach
- Rapid heart rate
- Dizziness
- Lack of energy, fatigue
- Loss or gain of weight
- Teeth grinding
- Problems with sleeping
- Chronic health problems
Mental Responses
- Changes in the way you think about yourself, other people and the world
- Heightened awareness of your surroundings (hyper vigilance)
- Lessened awareness, disconnection from yourself (dissociation)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Difficulty making decisions
- Intrusive images (flashbacks)
- Nightmares
Emotional Responses
- Fear, inability to feel safe
- Anxiety
- Sadness, grief, depression
- Guilt, shame
- Anger, irritability
- Numbness, lack of feelings
- Inability to enjoy anything
- Loss of trust
- Feeling helpless
- Loss of self-esteem
- Emotional distance from others, disconnected
- Intense or extreme feelings
Behavioral Responses
- Becoming withdrawn or isolated from others
- Easily startled
- Avoiding places or situations
- Becoming confrontational or aggressive
- Change in eating habits
- Restlessness
- Increase or decrease in sexual activity
- Using chemicals to numb out