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After living through past sexual abuse, shed turned to drugs and alcohol to cope during her younger years.
Jocelyn Tsaih
But nothing worked well enough to give her lasting relief.
She had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and was desperate.
Why not give it a try?
Dariannes story is just one of many that illustrate how deeply challenging this time has been.
Theres also the weight of the news cycle.
For survivors of war and political unrest, watching the conflict unfold can be especially distressing.
A reminder or trigger activates a certain muscle memory for trauma, like your body knows the script.
But what doestraumaactually mean?
How do traumatic events affect the brain and body?
And what can the often-winding journey to healing look like?
Everyone faces trauma differently, but there are specific symptoms to pay attention to.
Researchers are also discovering how systemic oppression can feed into the development of trauma in marginalized communities.
But the flip side is that the word is sometimes now used to refer to anything stressful or difficult.
Life presents stresses and challenges to everyone, buttraumais meant to describe a serious, devastating event.
Sometimes though, these feelings dont creep into a persons life until months or years after the initial incident.
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, heart racing, muscles tense.Another nightmare.
And it doesnt just impact your sleep.
During the day you find yourself lashing out at people you love, startling easily.
The event that triggered these symptoms is simultaneously hard to remember and impossible to forget.
Thats how insidious PTSD can feel.
The definition of trauma continues to evolve as we better understand how our identities shape our lives.
Social movements and the decades of study theyve led to have simultaneously sharpened and expanded how experts define trauma.
Organizing by veterans and doctors after the Vietnam War brought unsettling post-war struggles into focus.
Intergenerational trauma is another area of focus that experts are exploring.
Trauma can wreak havoc on the mind and body.
Many people end up self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, which can trigger a vicious cycle.
Traumatic experiences can also radically change the way a person thinks of themselves and the world at large.
Feelings like overwhelming guilt and misplaced self-blame are common.
These changes can lead to self-isolation, setting the stage for a greater risk of self-harm and suicide attempts.
Healing from trauma requires an individualized approachand reimagining what care can look like.
Antidepressants and off-label medications are also a common addition to treatment plans.
Researchers are working to innovate traditional talk therapies to boost their effectiveness in tech-based forms.
Theres obviously still struggles in my daily life, she says of her progress.
But theyve been much more manageable.
One month after completing treatment and personal work to stay sober, she regained custody of her three-year-old daughter.
The recovery process doesnt have to be a solo endeavor.
Along with therapy and medication, she says shes also benefited from a weeklongsurvivors programin Arizona.
Resilience is more than I dont have a diagnosis, Dr. Heinz explains.
This takes time and intention.
Over time theres the potential for whats known as post-traumatic growth.
Post-traumatic growth is not a destination.
Its a way of living.
you could also contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
