Common Trauma Reactions
What is avoidance?
Avoidance is when we try to stay away from people, places, or things that remind us of the bad things that happened or the bad thoughts we have about ourselves because of trauma.
What is trauma?
What is "fight, flight, freeze, and surrender?"
The different reactions humans have to stressful/threatening situations. Our body goes into hyperdrive and our brains effectively "turn off" as we are entirely focused on the threat.
YES -- we can have many feelings at one time and that is usually what's going on when someone says "I don't know what I'm feeling."
How does your family show they love each other?
Ex. hugs, telling each other, doing things for each other, spending quality time together
Name two feelings someone might feel if they've experienced something traumatic.
Sad, Embarrassed, Disappointed, Depressed, Abandoned, Hurt, Attacked, Confused, Grief
BONUS: have you felt any of these?
What are some examples of trauma?
-bullying -when a family member dies -car accident -hurricane/tornado -physical abuse -emotional abuse -sexual abuse -abusive relationships -domestic violence
How do you "turn off" the fight/flight response?
Other relaxation skills-- progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, grounding
Is it possible to have two conflicting or contradictory feelings at a time?
Yes -- our feelings don't follow logic. For example, we can be angry at someone and love them at the same time. Can you think of another example?
If you were given $1000 to shop for yourself-- you're not allowed to spend it on other people or bills-- what would you buy?
ex. nintendo switch
True or False:
Feeling numb, having mood swings, and insomnia/sleep issues can all be trauma symptoms
TRUE!
-Crying spells -Anxiety -Feeling numb -Mood swings -Panic attacks -Trust issues -Self-harm -Drug use -Insomnia or sleep issues -Flashbacks -Forgetful of the trauma -Fidgety or hyperactivity -Low self-esteem -Depression
True or False. Having ONE caring adult can help a child heal from trauma.
TRUE
What relaxation skill helps with dissociation (when your mind feels "outside" your body)?
Grounding skills -- trying to focus on your senses and things around you in the present moment. Focusing on hearing, sight, smell, and touch is easy to practice in any situation.
True or False:
I feel all my feelings with equal intensity, at all times.
FALSE
Just like we can have many feelings, those feelings may vary in intensity based on the situation/what you're thinking/how much sleep you've had/etc.
For example, if you gave me a cookie I'd be happy (2 out of 10) but if you gave me an all-expenses paid trip to the Bahamas, I'd be VERY happy (10 out of 10).
What are you feeling right now?
Name a feeling! Happy? Uncomfortable? Tired? Bored? Proud?
Name some physical reactions that happen to your body when trauma reactions are triggered.
heart pounding, nausea, sweating, dry mouth, knot in stomach, feeling frozen, feeling like you are out of your body, etc.
Once you have a trauma diagnosis, it will never ever go away or get better, even with therapy.
FALSE
Trauma diagnoses are some of the few mental health issues that can be treated to the point where it does not impact your life anymore. Talking about what happened and learning skills to manage trauma reactions can lead to a reversal of the trauma diagnosis.
How is "deep breathing" different than normal breathing?
Deep breathing: feel it in your belly, slower than normal, holding breath before releasing
Normal breathing: feel it in shoulders/chest, faster and shallower
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. Which one do we focus on in this therapy to make changes in our lives?
Thoughts!
Some therapy focuses on changing actions, but pretty much everyone agrees that you can't change your feelings just by focusing on them. You can process through your feelings that way, but to change them you need to address the negative thoughts or cognitive distortions in your mind first.
Name one thing you are proud of about yourself
Ex. participating in therapy!! I'm proud of you for that!
What is the name of that feeling that makes you think "something bad is going to happen" even though there isn't anything suspicious going on.
Anxiety -- it's a human defense from our evolution, when the world was constantly trying to kill or eat us. However, with trauma, anxiety can cue for reasons that don't make sense and put us through the pain of anxiety without purpose.
What is resilience?
The ability to "bounce back" from a difficult experience.
Walk us through a Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise. If you don't know it, ask someone in the game for help!
-Feet, calves, thighs, core, arms, shoulders, face
-Squeeze for 5 seconds and relax
Have your opponent pick a word from the Feelings Wheel. Once that word is decided on, describe a memory you have of feeling that emotion and rate it's intensity on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most)
(your response is correct if you completed the task)
What is your favorite way to relax?
Ex. baths, reading, taking a walk, talking to someone