Information for patients and carers
Introduction
Being involved in a traumatic event is something that we do not expect to happen.
You may experience a range of unfamiliar emotional and physical reactions associated with the suddenness of the event.
You may have a lot of questions about these reactions.
This information tries to answer some of the most common questions with some information and guidance.
There are no right or wrong ways to react, and different people experiencing the same trauma may respond in quite
different ways. Encouragingly, for most people the distress caused by traumatic injury starts to settle during the first few weeks as a person’s physical recovery progresses. For some people however, the emotional impact can become a concern.
How can I help myself overcome difficult emotional reactions?
- Reminding yourself that having a range of emotions is very natural. It can be very up and down in the first few days or weeks following the event.
- Try to settle back into your usual routine as much as you are physically able to. This will help you feel safer more quickly.
- Get plenty of sleep, rest and relax, eat regularly and healthily.
- Try to manage responsibilities and demands one at a time.
- Reminding yourself that the traumatic event is over and that you are now safe.
- When your feelings have settled and you feel safe, calmly go over what happened.
- Try to express yourself freely rather than bottling up your feelings.
- Talk to people you trust. You don’t have to tell everyone everything, but sharing your feelings with someone can often help you feel better.
- Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of your feelings and thoughts. Something very unexpected and sudden has happened to you and it is likely that you will have some reactions to the event.
Supporting someone else who has experienced trauma
- Reminding them that they are safe now, and that they have survived the traumatic event.
- Try not to press them into talking about it. Acknowledging that sometimes the person may not want to talk about their experience yet is completely ok.
- Be available to talk when the person is ready.
- Give the person time to talk and express their feelings, at their own pace, and allowing them to talk as much or as little as they feel able to.
- Try not to offer solutions or advice unless asked for this. Just being a listening ear can be a great source of support.
- Allow the person to be upset or angry about what has happened. These are the most common reactions, but not the only way a person might react.
- Reminding the person that they are not to blame, and that this was an unexpected situation that nobody would have anticipated.
Things that can impact your recovery
If it has been several weeks or more and your emotions have not settled and there is no sign of this getting better, it may be helpful to think about what is getting in the way of recovery.
You might need help if you have been experiencing any of the following reactions persistently:
- You want to talk about what happened and feel you don’t have anyone to share your feelings with.
- You find that you are easily startled and agitated.
- You keep experiencing the traumatic event over and again in your mind and have intense emotional reactions to it.
- You have disturbed sleep, unsettling thoughts preventing you from sleeping, or vivid dreams and nightmares are affecting you.
- You are experiencing overwhelming emotions that you feel unable to cope with or experience steep changes in mood that are out of character.
- You feel physically uneasy when you remember or think about the traumatic event.
- You feel emotionally numb or distant from people around you.
- Your relationships seem to be suffering.
- Your performance at work has suffered.
- Someone who you are close to tells you they are concerned about you.
If so, at this point you may be helpful to speak to a professional.
Where to go if you believe you need help
There are some very effective treatments for people experiencing the effects of trauma, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (known as CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (known as EMDR).
Most areas have a NHS psychological wellbeing service to which you can self-refer. You might start by contacting your GP.
Some of the services that they might use are listed below.
VitaMinds Service, Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire
Let’s Talk Service, Gloucestershire
www.ghc.nhs.uk/our-teams-and-services/letstalk/
BaNES IAPT, Bath & North East Somerset
www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/talking-therapies-banes
Talking Therapies, Somerset
www.somersetft.nhs.uk/somerset-talking-therapies/
Swindon LIFT Psychology, Swindon
www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/lift-psychology-swindon
Wiltshire IAPT, Wiltshire
www.iapt.awp.nhs.uk/wiltshire-iapt
NHS 111
Alternatively, contact NHS111 if you are concerned about low mood, anxiety or posttraumatic stress, or visit NHS Choices at www.NHS.uk
Further support
Please note that we are not responsible for the content or views posted on any of the below sites.
ASSIST Trauma Care
Experienced therapists trained to work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the aftereffects of trauma in line with current evidence based practices.
http://assisttraumacare.org.uk/
After Trauma
A national forum aiming to provide a community for patients and families to rebuild lives and support each other after experiencing a traumatic injury.
Brake
A charity for road safety which provides information and resources for victims of road traffic collisions.
Headway
Supports people and families after a brain injury.
ICU Steps
A patient support charity set up by experts by experience, for patients who have been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit.
Mind
The national association for mental health. A resource for people providing information and signposting, helplines, online forums and low cost counselling.
The Spinal Injuries Association
Provides support and information to patients and families affected by a spinal cord injury.
Winston’s Wish
Supports children and families who are bereaved by the loss of a family member.
Victim Support
Provides emotional and practical support for people affected by crime and traumatic events.
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
The Limbless Association
A patient support charity supporting amputees and people who have experience limb loss.