Trauma
Warren Davies
Keynote speaker and media commentator, advocating for mental wellbeing and helping communities recover by facilitating leadership capacities through workshops.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to respond to a traumatic event.
We all react to trauma in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions.
There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond, so don’t judge your own reactions or those of the people around you..Traumatic stress is a normal reaction to an event such as a natural disaster like Bushfire or Drought.
Your responses are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events.
There may be times when you feel jumpy and anxious, and other times when you feel disconnected and numb.
Other normal emotional responses to traumatic events include:
Shock and disbelief, Fear, Sadness, Helpless and vulnerable, Guilt, Anger, Shame, and Relief.
The physical symptoms of traumatic stress can include:
Trembling or shaking, Pounding heart, Rapid breathing, Lump in throat; feeling choked up, Stomach tightening or churning Feeling dizzy or faint, Cold sweats, Racing thoughts.
Following a traumatic event, you may also want to withdraw from others, and isolate yourself from your support network and community, but by doing this only makes things worse. Its important you stay connected. Connecting to others face to face will help you heal, so make an effort to maintain your relationships and avoid spending too much time alone. The simple act of talking face to face with another human can trigger hormones that relieve traumatic stress.
Reach out to your support network and don't be to proud to ask for help.
Stay connected to your community and support each other through the challenges, remembering that there is power in community.
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