Most people who experience a traumatic event will not require treatment. For others, treatment from a mental health professional will be required to help them process the experience safely.
Seek psychological assistance if the symptoms of the trauma are too distressing, or if they are impairing everyday activities such as work, study, family, and relationships.
Signs that psychological treatment may be helpful include:
- being unable to handle the intense feelings or physical sensations
- feeling numb and empty
- experiencing strong distressing emotions that persist
- being physically tense, agitated or feeling on edge
- disturbed sleep or nightmares
- lacking support from someone with whom you can share your emotions
- having relationship problems with friends, family, and colleagues
- increasing your use of alcohol or drugs.
Treatments include trauma-focused psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). These focus on education, stress management techniques, and helping the person to confront feared situations and distressing memories.
In some cases, medication such as antidepressants can be useful, alongside trauma-focused psychological approaches.