If you’re a first responder, you might frequently be exposed to traumatic events while on the job. Whether you’re a paramedic, a firefighter, a police officer, or a 9-1-1 dispatcher, you may find your work deeply fulfilling.
As a child, your caregivers might not have been able to meet your emotional needs. These unmet needs can follow you into adulthood, influencing the way you relate to people later in life.
It’s easy to view any conflict within a relationship as a red flag. Whether you butted heads with a friend or argued with your romantic partner, disagreeing with someone you care about is stressful.
If you’re the parent of a child with special needs, it can feel like each day brings new, unexpected challenges that no parenting book could have prepared you for. Your experience of parenting may look nothing like your original expectations, and part of you might be grieving for your child’s struggles as well as your own.
First responders regularly endure harrowing situations. They may have to rescue people from natural disasters and speak to victims of violent crimes right after the event. Furthermore, first responders have to aid people who may not survive the ordeals they are faced with.
It’s easy to assume that trauma is exclusively a mental health condition. But trauma can affect every aspect of your life, including your physical health. Trauma isn’t just something that…
Maybe you’ve been concerned your child is dealing with challenges at school that they aren’t ready to talk about. But you’re not sure if your suspicions are correct, or if you’re overreacting. Your child’s teacher might not have reached out to you, and perhaps your child hasn’t had any disciplinary issues in the classroom.
Maybe you’re about to undergo a court-ordered psychological evaluation. You might be nervous or stressed out about the process. Furthermore, you may not know what to expect, and you want to ensure that you’re prepared.
Your teenager seems down lately. Maybe they haven’t been hanging out with their friends as often as they used to, and they don’t open up around you or your other relatives, either. They might prefer to stay alone in their room, and you’re getting concerned about their screentime.
Trauma doesn’t always refer to a single event. Relational trauma is characterized by ongoing mistreatment, abuse, or abandonment within a relationship. In other words, it’s trauma that occurs in relation to someone whom you relied on.