The term ‘trauma’ refers to a deeply disturbing experience from which a person feels that their life has been threatened with serious injury, violence, or death.
Trauma is a very personal experience and may range from shock, anxiety, and fear to anger, aggression, and deep sadness.
Trauma can happen due to an accident, physical assault, natural disasters, war, harassment, sexual assault or abuse. It can also occur from witnessing someone else being threatened or suffering an injury, or from hearing about a traumatic event has happened to someone you know.
There are a range of factors that impact on a person’s ability to cope with trauma, including the event itself, family history, a pre-existing mental illness, or the duration of the traumatic experience.
It is important to seek professional help if a person finds they are not able to participate in their normal daily activities or enjoy life as they did before the traumatic event.
These organisations can provide information and support for individuals, as well as family members, friends, and carers of a person, who is experiencing trauma.