Some of the possible feelings you may experience are:
- Fear, anxiety and stress
- For example, sometimes, a traumatic experience involves a violation of your personal safety, such as physical or sexual abuse/assault. This can affect or change your perception of the world and make you feel unsafe and stressed.
- Shock or disbelief
- You may experience shock or disbelief about the traumatic event, for example you could feel shock about the sudden death of a loved one.
- You may also feel emotionally numb and detached.
- You may want to withdraw from others.
- You may also feel like you are in a constant state of ‘high alert’
- For example, you may be more easily startled and always be ‘on’, ready to deal with a threat
- You may also play over the event/experience in your mind and/or have intrusive thoughts relating to the event.
- Anger
- You may feel angry towards others or towards the world in general after experiencing a trauma
- Humiliation, guilt, shame
- Sometimes, individuals who have experienced sexual abuse or assault may blame themselves for what occured.
- Betrayal
- For example, you may feel betrayed if the trauma was inflicted by someone you trust.
All of these feelings are valid and normal. Your feelings can change over time. Additionally, you may experience multiple feelings at once. It is important to remember that there is no ‘normal’ way to respond to a trauma. Your feelings and experiences are valid.