Percentages around PTSD in Canada and how common it is with trauma. Grapic by Keira Astalos.
The discussion around sexual assault is something that can be extremely challenging and a critical aspect that goes along with it is triggers. After a sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder can be one of many ways victims need extra support. Something as little as a certain scent or song or even a holiday can trigger someone who has experienced trauma. Angela Miller registered provisional psychologist says, anyone who goes through a trauma is always on high alert.
“When somebody is going through a trauma after an assault or any type of trauma, the person gets stuck in high alert causing them to always be in that flight and freeze mode.”
Carmen Guenther, Wellness Service Manager at Lethbridge College says your body goes under a significant amount of stress when this happens. “Your brain cannot actually differentiate between the fact that this happened in the past and the feeling you’re having around it in the moment. When you go into that fight and freeze mode your heart rate starts to increase and you may develop a shortness of breath and the sense that something is wrong.”
It is important to recognize you do not always have to feel like this and triggers or PTSD is common when you have gone through a trauma says Guenther. You may not even know that this is causing your body to undergo a significant amount of stress. Understanding that this is something that no one can do on their own is important to recognize.
Miller shares why the first step to getting better when it comes to PTSD is seeking help through counseling. “Through counseling you recognize your triggers. You recognize what is happening in your body and then you’re using tools to get through all those pieces whether that be internal coping skills or checking for realistic thoughts. Whatever that may be for that certain person you are working through it in counseling.”
Reaching out for help can be challenging but once you do it could help you immensely and the feeling as though your body can’t get a break is something no one should always have to feel, says Miller.
Miranda Hargreaves assistant navigator and education specialist at Lethbridge’s Chinook Sexual Assault Centre shares ways she helps people work through it. “Things like grounding and teaching somebody how to ground when they’re feeling overwhelmed when working through trauma. Teaching them the symptoms behind flashbacks, nightmares, and panic attacks and helping them put in those grounding skills they might need to manage the stress.”
Understanding what a trigger is or what PTSD can consist of could help you or a friend. Comprehending and understanding the root issue of the topic could help someone realize the feeling they get of overwhelming stress and your body not knowing how to control it, could be a sign of a trigger. It’s important to realize that this is not typically how people feel, and there are ways that can help you deal with these everyday struggles.
