{"id":22,"date":"2017-04-10T15:59:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T15:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/counseling\/trauma\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T16:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T16:38:38","slug":"trauma","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Coping with Trauma"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

ABOUT TRAUMA<\/p>\n

Many people experience trauma at some point in their lives. It is caused by being the victim of, or witness to, a serious accident, death of a loved one, imminent danger, assault, rape, terrorism and many other events.\u00a0 The shock of a major\u00a0trauma can be sudden and is often intense.\u00a0It can be difficult to manage and can have a very powerful effect on you both emotionally and physically.<\/p>\n

Coping with stress after trauma is not always automatic.\u00a0 It takes time and you may need the help of a professional.\u00a0 You can benefit from talking to others who also experienced the trauma.\u00a0 If you have had a strong reaction to a traumatic event, you may still have other reactions as time goes on and that is normal!<\/p>\n

SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMA<\/p>\n

You may experience few or many of the following symptoms in varying degrees of severity:<\/p>\n

Physical Reactions:<\/strong>
\n1. Nausea
\n2. Upset Stomach
\n3. Tremors
\n4. Chills
\n5. \u00a0Diarrhea
\n6. Dizziness – headaches
\n7. Rapid heart beat
\n8. Rapid breathing
\n9. Muscle aches
\n10. Sweating<\/p>\n

Thought Reactions:<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>1. Slowed thinking
\n2. Difficulty making decisions
\n3. Difficulty problem solving
\n4. Confusion with time and place
\n5. Difficulty concentrating
\n6. Memory loss
\n7. Seeing event over and over (replaying the event in your head)
\n8. Nightmares
\n9. Poor attention span
\n10. Avoiding feelings<\/p>\n

Emotional Reactions: <\/strong>
\n<\/strong>1. Anxiety
\n2. Fear
\n3. Guilt
\n4. Sadness
\n5. Grief
\n6. Depression
\n7. Feeling lost
\n8. Feeling alone
\n9. Anger
\n10. Wanting to hide (withdrawal and isolation)<\/p>\n

DEALING WITH A TRAUMATIC EVENT<\/p>\n

Experiencing a traumatic event can be very overwhelming. Talking with others who have been through it with you or through a similar situation can help. Sometimes, you feel the need to tell your story again and again – that’s okay. It is important to find someone to talk to who is a good listener. Whether it’s a friend, family member or counselor, telling your story is important!<\/p>\n

Some people feel better when they do nice things for themselves. That’s a good idea.\u00a0 Try and keep a regular schedule so that your life can get back to normal as soon as possible.\u00a0 If you are unable\u00a0to deal with the trauma or associated\u00a0symptoms, or what you are experiencing prevents you from maintaining your regular way of life, you may need to talk with a mental health professional.\u00a0 Talking to\u00a0a counselor\u00a0about these feelings can be very useful in allowing yourself to heal while exploring how the trauma impacts you in a safe and confidential setting.<\/p>\n

SELF-CARE<\/p>\n

The following is a list of positive self-care tools that can be very helpful when dealing with a trauma.\u00a0Be honest about how you feel and be patient with yourself, this process takes time!
\nAllow yourself to feel upset – but also try and do nice things for yourself.<\/p>\n

Take a warm bath.
\nCall a friend.
\nTalk with a family member or significant other.
\nWrap yourself in a comfortable blanket.
\nDrink some tea or hot chocolate.
\nGo for a walk.
\nWatch a favorite funny movie.
\nAvoid alcohol and other drugs.
\nMaintain\u00a0your regular daily schedule.
\nDo yoga.
\nMeditate.
\nTake a nap.
\nRead a good book.
\nExercise.
\nGet creative – (draw, write poetry, journal, cook, paint, etc)
\nGet plenty of rest.
\nBreathe deep.
\nAllow yourself to cry when needed.
\nClean your room.
\nRemember to eat regularly with well balanced meals.
\nSeek help if feelings\u00a0become too intense.<\/p>\n

See the “Stress Management<\/strong><\/a>” and “Anxiety<\/strong><\/a>” links on how to help yourself feel better when dealing with symptoms of trauma. If symptoms last, or you are feeling overwhelmed, you can contact Counseling Services for assistance.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n

WCSU Counseling Services
\nStudent Health & Wellness Center
\n(Connected to Newbury Hall)
\n181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810<\/p>\n

Phone: (203) 837.8690
\nEmail:\u00a0CounselingServices@wcsu.edu<\/a>
\nInstagram:\u00a0wcsu_counselingservices<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABOUT TRAUMA Many people experience trauma at some point in their lives. It is caused by being the victim of, or witness to, a serious accident, death of a loved one, imminent danger, assault, rape, terrorism and many other events.\u00a0 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":273,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"left-navigation.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/273"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/counseling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}