The Impact of Trauma

A traumatic experience can affect the following areas:

Mental health

• Flashbacks.
• Hearing or seeing things that others don’t.
• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Numbing
• Fears and phobias.
• Feeling on guard.
• Nightmares.
• Paranoia.
• Loss of purpose or pleasure.
• Low self-worth Loss of sense of ‘who you are’.

Relationship with self and others

• Feelings of guilt or shame.
• Difficulty trusting others.
• Self-loathing.
• Anger.
• Irritability.
• Frustration.
• Self-destructive behaviours.
• Isolation or loneliness.
• Difficulty organising your life.

Physical health

• Panic attacks.
• Self-harm.
• Chronic pain.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Anxiety.
• Sleeping problems.
• Eating difficulties.
• Gynaecological problems.
• Sweating.
• Headaches.
• Racing heart or blood pressure problems.
• Use of drugs or alcohol.
• Poor concentration.