Yesterday I was reminded that 1 + 1 doesn’t always equal 2. It’s fascinating how you can learn new skills by breaking up the task in smaller chunks of work and once you excel at those smaller chunks, the total task may still need some work to make everything cohesive. How frustrating is that when you place that much time and effort into perfecting your skills but then the final project still requires time, patience, and even more work. Despite this frustration, at least this gives us some insight into how long the process can take when learning anything new. We all wish we could excell right away, however, that is not realistic. Keep grinding, reflecting, and growing!
This is part 2 of 2 from Judy Dirks, LMHT to help define trauma.
Today I wanted to share the effects of trauma. It doesn’t matter whether it came from a “small T trauma” or a “big T trauma”, one’s life can become unmanageable.
Long term effects of trauma can be anxiety, feelings of overwhelm, nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive memories, nausea and other physical maladies. If these symptoms persist, this could be labeled as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Short term effects of trauma can be difficulties with sleeping, eating, working, exercising, and maintaining relationships. You may even have frequent colds, headaches, and physical pain or heightening of these symptoms if you already have them.
If you are in need of help, please reach out to someone you can trust. If you feel there isn’t anyone to talk too, here are a few hotlines you can use right now to get you started.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Postpartum Depression Warmline: 1-800-PPD-MOMS
National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE
Disaster Distress Helpline: 800-985-5990
National Center for Victims of Crime: 800-FYI-CALL
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE
The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
If you are interested in exploring the traumas that you have had in your life consider coming into the clinic for a free 30 minute consultation to see if counseling is something you might benefit from. You can also head to psychologytoday.com to find a trusted licensed mental health counselor in your area.