Trauma: When to Seek Professional Support

Recovering from the impact of trauma takes time. Everybody heals at their own pace and in their own way. But if months have passed since the events and your trauma reaction is getting in the way of your everyday life, you may need to get professional help.

Ask your GP about getting some professional support if you’re:

Struggling to function at home or work
Suffering from severe fear, anxiety, or depression
Finding it hard to form or maintain close, satisfying relationships
Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
Avoiding more and more things that remind you of the trauma
Feeling emotionally numb and disconnected from other people
Using alcohol or drugs to feel better

Related Resources

Making Sense of Traumatic Events
If you have experienced a traumatic event, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, trauma is prevalent in our society. An estimated 1 in 5 adults have experienced physical or sexual abuse during childhood.
Common Emotional Reactions to Trauma
It’s common to experience a range of different emotions following a trauma event.

Avoiding Trauma Triggers
Avoiding things that relate to or remind you of a traumatic event is a common way of managing the impact of trauma.
Changes in How You Perceive Yourself, Others and the World
The way that you see yourself, other people and the world can change after a trauma.

The Wellbeing Lothian website has been developed to provide information, self-help resources and links to help you manage your mental health and wellbeing.

We want to help you make changes in your own lives and point you in a direction to start doing so. This is Wellbeing Lothian’s aim.

Learn More about Wellbeing Lothian

This website is not intended in any way to replace the advice of a clinician. Specific advice should be sought in specific situations from a properly qualified health worker.

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