Understanding Trauma
What is Trauma?
A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that affects how a person feels, thinks, or behaves.
What is grief?
The emotional reaction to losing someone or something important.
What is a coping skill?
A way to deal with stress, emotions, or difficult experiences.
Why do some people use substances after trauma or loss?
To try to numb pain, escape emotions, or feel better temporarily.
What is one person or place you can go to for support?
A trusted adult, therapist, school counselor, or support group.
True or False: Everyone responds to trauma in the same way.
False – everyone reacts differently.
Name one type of loss that can cause grief besides death.
Divorce, moving away, loss of a pet, or ending a friendship/relationship.
Name one healthy coping skill.
Talking to someone, journaling, exercising, deep breathing, or art.
True or False: Substances can fix grief and trauma.
False – they may cover feelings but don’t solve the problem.
True or False: Healing means you forget what happened.
False – healing means learning to live with what happened and grow stronger.
Name one common reaction people have after experiencing trauma.
Fear, anger, sadness, anxiety, or numbness.
This is the percentage of adolescent suicides linked to untreated mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
90%
True or False: Avoiding your emotions is a healthy way to cope.
False – it’s important to express and work through emotions or else they will resurface when you can no longer hold them in (involuntarily)
What’s one risk of using substances to cope with pain?
Addiction, worsened mental health, damaged relationships, or legal trouble.
Why is talking about your feelings helpful?
It helps you process emotions and feel less alone.
What part of the body is triggered by trauma and puts you in “fight, flight, or freeze” mode?
The brain, especially the amygdala.
The amygdala is a brain structure primarily responsible for processing emotions, particularly fear, anxiety, and aggression.
These are objects, locations, or other stimuli that can resurface memories or emotions related to loss.
Grief triggers
Substance abuse, self-harm, or isolation are referred to as what regarding teens attempting to deal with grief or suicidal thoughts?
Self-destructive behaviors
How can emotions feel more intense when using drugs or alcohol?
Substances can lower your ability to manage stress and increase mood swings.
True or False: Everyone goes through the same stages of grief in the same order.
False — people experience grief differently, and there’s no "right" order or timeline.
5 stages of grief (non-linear): denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance
How can past trauma show up in someone’s everyday life, even if they don’t talk about it?
It can affect sleep, mood, relationships, trust, school focus, or make someone feel on edge or shut down.
Name two ways grief and trauma can be connected.
Trauma can cause grief (e.g., sudden loss), and grief can be traumatic (e.g., witnessing a death).
What does it mean to “self-regulate”?
Managing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a healthy way.
What’s one healthy alternative to using substances when feeling triggered?
Reaching out for help, journaling, exercising, or using grounding techniques.
What does it mean to “heal” from something hard, and does healing mean forgetting it happened?
Healing means learning to live with what happened and finding ways to grow and feel better — it doesn’t mean forgetting.