Our mind can keep flashing back to the terrifying event or events. This is what’s called post-traumatic stress. Our bodies went into shock and were unable to discharge that shock.
Symptoms of trauma or post-traumatic stress could be:
Feelings of unreality, weakness or dizziness
Irresistible urge to run away or to hide
Frequent irritability, hyper-arousal or exhaustion
Impulsive behaviour, emotional insecurity
Prevalence of tiredness and loss of life’s enjoyment
Inability to concentrate and thought disorientation
Mouth and throat dry
Heart palpitations, high blood pressure
Stuttering and other speech difficulties which are often exacerbated by stress and anxiety
Nightmares/ sleep disturbances
In counselling and psychotherapy, we look at a time when we felt safe and remind the body that is possible again. Also allow the trauma to discharge, by crying or shaking or getting angry. All these expressions are a normal response to a traumatic event. If we can shut off our mind, the body will want to heal itself. It does this by sobbing, shaking or getting angry. Allowing the body to release the trauma in this way, takes away the hold it has over us.