Psychological Trauma

Its typhoon season again, and it can be a very difficult time for many of our kababayans. Particularly for those who lost loved ones and property from the onslaught of rains and winds just a few months ago, this season is yet another reminder of nature’s unforgiving fury. It is also a reminder of the pain and suffering that they experienced because of calamities past.


The typhoons and the floods that came and went were frightening experiences for many. Although most people would react within a tolerable range of negative reactions, there are a few who may react to the situation more extremely. In particular, the terror they feel can be traced from the time a severe, or series of, life threatening events happened. This is when psychological trauma is said to have been experienced.

Traumatic incidents are not only limited to typhoons and floods. They can be other natural disasters, such as, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and famines, tsunamis, and the like. They can also be man-made disasters, such as, war and displacement, bombings, fires, crime, domestic violence, and violations of one’s modesty. These can also be single incidents or something that is repeated over and over again within a given period of time.

There are essentially three groups of behaviors that are associated with these reactions after a particularly stressful time, which include the following: going back to the traumatic events; trying to get away from the memory, and feeling anxious and wary. Let me explain each of these.

The first is the tendency for the traumatized person to keep on going back to the incident(s) over and over again in their heads. They can get flashbacks, nightmares, and really frightening thoughts. This can happen from out of the blue, and can make a person feel stuck and paralyzed. For an outside observer, the person might look like they are staring into empty space for periods of time.

The second is the desire to avoid anything that will remind them of the traumatic incident. For instance, a person who is traumatized by extreme flooding might not want to stay in their house anymore and would choose to live on higher ground. This can also take the form of feeling numb and not really feeling anything at all. Yet others can feel a deep sense of guilt, sadness and/or worry. They might stay away from places and people that remind them of the traumatic incident(s). Some might even have a poor recollection of what really happened.

The third is a feeling of being nervous and wary. As a result of the traumatic event(s), people find life to be rather unpredictable, and anything drastic can really happen anytime. They feel anxious in daily life, and they can even be easily startled. They can be in a constant state of vigilance, as though something really bad is about to happen. As a result, they might have a hard time sleeping and have a volatile emotional life. They can sometimes feel very angry or very sad with little provocation.

A combination of some of these extreme reactions may be quite acceptable for a few weeks after a particularly traumatic event. After all, such reactions are quite understandable in the face of rather extreme circumstances. They do become rather disruptive when they continue to be as strong even after a few months from the actual incident. When these feeling and behaviors persist, consulting a mental health professional might prove to be helpful.