Emotional Reactions
| Immediate Reactions Numbness and detachment Anxiety or severe fear Guilt (including survivor guilt) Exhilaration as a result of surviving Anger Sadness Helplessness Feeling unreal; depersonalization (e.g., feeling as if you are watching yourself) Disorientation Feeling out of control Denial Constriction of feelings Feeling overwhelmed | Delayed Reactions Irritability and/or hostility Depression Mood swings, instability Anxiety (e.g., phobia, generalized anxiety) Fear of trauma recurrence Grief reactions Shame Feelings of fragility and/or vulnerability Emotional detachment from anything that requires emotional reactions (e.g., significant and/or family relationships, conversations about self, discussion of traumatic events or reactions to them) |
Physical Reactions
| Immediate Reactions Nausea and/or gastrointestinal distress Sweating or shivering Faintness Muscle tremors or uncontrollable shaking Elevated heartbeat, respiration, and blood pressure Extreme fatigue or exhaustion Greater startle responses Depersonalization | Delayed Reactions Sleep disturbances, nightmares Somatization (e.g., increased focus on and worry about body aches and pains) Appetite and digestive changes Lowered resistance to colds and infection Persistent fatigue Elevated cortisol levels Hyperarousal Long-term health effects including heart, liver, autoimmune, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
Cognitive Reactions
| Immediate Reactions Difficulty concentrating Rumination or racing thoughts (e.g., replaying the traumatic event over and over again) Distortion of time and space (e.g., traumatic event may be perceived as if it was happening in slow motion, or a few seconds can be perceived as minutes) Memory problems (e.g., not being able to recall important aspects of the trauma) Strong identification with victims | Delayed Reactions Intrusive memories or flashbacks Reactivation of previous traumatic events Self-blame Preoccupation with event Difficulty making decisions Magical thinking: belief that certain behaviors, including avoidant behavior, will protect against future trauma Belief that feelings or memories are dangerous Generalization of triggers (e.g., a person who experiences a home invasion during the daytime may avoid being alone during the day) Suicidal thinking |
Behavioral Reactions
| Immediate Reactions Startled reaction Restlessness Sleep and appetite disturbances Difficulty expressing oneself Argumentative behavior Increased use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco Withdrawal and apathy Avoidant behaviors | Delayed Reactions Avoidance of event reminders Social relationship disturbances Decreased activity level Engagement in high-risk behaviors Increased use of alcohol and drugs Withdrawal |
Existential Reactions
| Immediate Reactions Intense use of prayer Restoration of faith in the goodness of others (e.g., receiving help from others) Loss of self-efficacy Despair about humanity, particularly if the event was intentional Immediate disruption of life assumptions (e.g., fairness, safety, goodness, predictability of life) | Delayed Reactions Questioning (e.g., “Why me?”) Increased cynicism, disillusionment Increased self-confidence (e.g., “If I can survive this, I can survive anything”) Loss of purpose Renewed faith Hopelessness Reestablishing priorities Redefining meaning and importance of life Reworking life’s assumptions to accommodate the trauma (e.g., taking a self-defense class to reestablish a sense of safety) |
References:
Briere & Scott, 2006b; Foa, Stein, & McFarlane, 2006; Pietrzak, Goldstein, Southwick, & Grant, 2011.
0 Comments