Deola has recently been contemplating suicide, life as an orphan has been a harsh reality, being passed from one foster home to another isn’t an ordeal any child should deal with but he was familiarizing himself with it, as no one wanted the boy who screams at night. Unbeknownst to them his screams were a result of the recurring nightmares he kept having, one where his mind kept replaying the scenes from the car accident where he lost his parents. No one would relate to how truamatizing it is for a fifteen years old boy to be the lone survivor of a car accident, or how it is for him dealing with survivors guilt and other uncertainties that come from surviving trauma. He has learnt to cope with his post traumatic stress disorder alone, the panic attacks that come with flashes of the accident, and his phobia for moving cars.
At a point in time, 90 percent of the population has gone through one life changing experience that leaves them scarred and unable to continue with life as they are used to. Trauma can be defined as an unpleasant experience that affects a person in ways that are unhealthy for the mind, leaving imprints that hinders full recovery. Going through very stressful, frightening or distressing events can cause trauma. Emotional or psychological trauma means: situations or events we find traumatic and how we’re affected by such experiences, and it’s later inpact on the future.
Traumatic events can happen at any age and can cause long-lasting harm. Everyone has a different reaction to trauma, so you might not notice it’s effects quickly, but a long time afterwards.
Trauma could be from a physical or mental abuse, where the victim was either raped or violated in the past or is still experiencing such violation, being directly harmed or having witnessed harm to someone else, living in a traumatic atmosphere from abusive parents or friends, being affected by trauma to a family member or community.
it could be phycological, where by events and verbal abuse has made life unhealthy and unsafe for the victims. It affects all ages with no exception for children.
Ways to cope with trauma.
Healthy ways of coping with traumatic experiences include: Avoiding alcohol and other drugs; Spending time with loved ones and trusted friends who are supportive; and trying to maintain normal routines for meals, exercise, and sleep, consiously avoiding triggers. In general, staying active is a good way to cope with stressful feelings.
There is nothing you can say or do to make the person’s pain disappear. That will happen with time, rest, and appropriate support. Explain to such patients that you are sorry about what they had to experience and that you are there to help them in any way they need, once you spot triggers, help them avoid it and make them get comfortable around you or an environment.
Trauma is mostly overlooked and rarely treated, but with a supportive community a traumatic victim can live a full healthy life.