If a person experiences a traumatic event and they don’t talk about the event or express their feelings (or are discouraged from doing so), their day-to-day living can be a struggle. Some may have feelings that seem similar to grief but are heightened in intensity. For example, they may experience:
- Difficulty managing or “regulating” emotions, including angry outbursts.
- A flood of emotions (e.g., being completely overwhelmed and emotionally devastated).
- Numbness and not knowing what or how to feel.
- Feeling things are surreal.
- A deep and abiding sadness.
- Anxiety or panic attacks.
- Fear about the future and about making decisions.
- Feeling self-critical.
- Worry about being judged for how they’re dealing with a situation.
- Feeling bitter or betrayed.
- Feeling abandoned or neglected.
- An absence of any positive feelings or a total lack of feelings.
- Suicidal thoughts.
- Highly negative emotional states including blaming oneself, a sense of horror, and/or extreme feelings of guilt or shame.
