Trauma Informed Care – Mental Health First Aid

By Jenna DeRosa, LPCC

What is trauma?

Trauma informed care – mental health first aid. Trauma is defined as an event or experience that causes psychological distress to an individual. Trauma is deeply personal to each individual that you come across. Some experiences that deeply impact one person, may not impact another. There are the traumatic experiences that we hear most about; physical, sexual or emotional abuse. But it is important to keep in mind that many other human experiences can qualify as a trauma. It could also be experiences or events that the individual witnesses or hears about, it may not be an event that they directly experienced.

How to recognize trauma

Again, it’s important to know that this may be present differently with each individual and the trauma that they experienced. Below are some common symptoms to recognize:

Symptoms

Nightmares
Mood swings; sudden shifts of depression, anger, anxiety, etc.
Loss of memory
Dissociation
Individual seeing visual images of the event
Intrusive thoughts
Social isolation or withdrawal
Avoidance of certain places or people
Easily startled
Always on alert
Freezing or unresponsiveness
Screaming or yelling
Hypervigilance
Exhaustion and insomnia
Changes in sleep and eating patterns
Panic attacks
Overwhelming fear
Detachment from people and emotions
Compulsive behaviors
Emotions; shame, irritability, disbelief, shock, fear, depressed anger, etc.

Risk Factors:

Individuals with disabilities
History of domestic abuse within family
Poverty and socioeconomic disadvantages
Substance use in family
Community violence
Gender Identity
Sexual Orientation
Race
Gender
Generational trauma
Stress within the home
Age

Coping skills

Join a support group
Relaxation exercises
Grounding exercises
Be in nature
Do an activity you enjoy
Go on a walk
Art
Avoid drugs/alcohol
Talk to someone you trust
Journal
Take a nap

How to respond

When an individual is opening up to you about a trauma, your response and support is crucial, here is what you need to provide for them:

A non-judgemental space and reaction
Care and compassion
Ask them what they need from you
Do not question them or their trauma
Be patient, stay with them unless they ask you to
Thank them for sharing their story
Give 100% of your attention
Do not compare their story to someone else’s
Do not ask them to share more than they are comfortable
AVOID phrases like; “look on the bright side,” “it happened so long ago, shouldn’t you be over it,” “everything happens for a reason,” “it could have been worse,” “stay positive,” “calm down”