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Trauma

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What is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional response to experiencing something deeply distressing or frightening. It is our brain’s way of telling us that we haven’t fully processed what we have experienced or learnt to manage our feelings about what happened.

Traumatic events can occur at any age and can cause long-lasting damage. The majority of us will experience at least one traumatic event in our lifetime but how we react to that Trauma will differ depending on our coping abilities. Some people will notice the effects of Trauma quickly, whilst others may not experience any symptoms for a long time after the event.

Going through further Trauma can also remind us of past experiences, or can make existing problems worse. If you have been affected by Trauma and are struggling to cope, we recommend that you contact one of the helplines listed below.

Note: the information provided in this module is not designed to diagnose you with symptoms of Trauma but rather to demonstrate the consequences of unresolved Trauma and to point you in the direction of relevant resources to help you if you are struggling right now.

Get help now

Emergency help

If you need emergency help, find helplines here:

Local support

If you need local support, find services nearby:

Call someone now

Call the Samaritans now, 24/7.

Tools for coping with Trauma

These tools are not intended to replace therapy or professional advice. They are designed to help you cope with difficult feelings or situations and provide you with a better understanding of Trauma. However, if you are really struggling please contact one of the emergency helplines provided or seek help from your GP.

Support services

If you would like to access further support or discuss any concerns with a qualified mental health professional, the organisations below provide self-referral options for various talking therapy and counselling services.

Local Mind services

What is Mind?

Mind is a mental health charity which provides advice and support to anyone experiencing mental health problems.

They have a network of approximately 125 local Minds across England and Wales offering specialised support and care directly to those who need it most. The types of support available through local Minds varies depending on location but services include: talking therapies, peer support, advocacy, crisis care and more.

The main Mind website also provides emergency advice and urgent coping tools for use in crisis situations.

How to self-refer

1. Enter your postcode in the location search bar to be presented with a list of all the Mind services in your local area. Choose the local Mind that is nearest to your home address and follow the link to their website.

2. Explore the website for counselling and other support service availabilities. Once you have identified the support services that are available to you, follow the on-screen instructions to complete a self-referral for the service that feels right for you.

For online referrals, most services will contact you within 48 hours to confirm receipt of your referral and arrange an appointment with a wellbeing service worker – this contact will likely be a phonecall which may be displayed on your telephone as a private number.

Hub of Hope

What is the Hub of Hope?

The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database, bringing a range of local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support services together in one place.

The Hub is a signposting service designed to guide people towards appropriate support for their individual needs/preferences. It is available to everyone, not just those who are in crisis, and allows individuals to search for services tailored to their particular concerns.

How to use it

1. Enter your postcode in the location search bar or click on the “click to find nearby services” button. You will then be presented with a list of all the mental health support services in your local area that are registered to the Hub of Hope.

2. Use the filter buttons at the top of the page to refine your results according to service type e.g. NHS/private sector and area of concern e.g. anxiety/depression.

3. Click on each service individually for further information on their exact location, opening hours and areas of expertise. Most services list their contact details alongside a link to their own website.

Additional resources

Below are some links to helpful articles and videos that provide more information on Trauma as well as advice for seeking support.

General information

Trauma. Mind’s Guide to Trauma, explaining how it affects your mental health, how you can help yourself, what treatments are available and how to overcome barriers to getting the right support.

Adverse childhood experiences. Watch the video about traumatic events that affect children while growing up.

Support

Assist trauma care. Employs experienced therapists trained to work with the after-effects of Trauma in line with current evidence-based practices.

Help and support after a traumatic event. NHS guide on accessing support after experiencing Trauma.

More resources

Try another area within MyMynd that is closely related to Trauma.