Let’s face it – life is unpredictable. No one wants to experience a traumatic event, but sometimes, trauma happens that wrecks a person both emotionally and physically.

There is a strong correlation between a person’s mental health and his or her ability to recover from trauma. Whereas good mental health may actually prevent mental illness, poor mental health puts an individual at risk of a mental health disorder. Meanwhile, those dealing with a mental illness may also struggle to recover from trauma.

 

What Is Mental Illness?

Mental illness impacts an individual’s personality, thought processes, and social interactions. It sometimes affects a person’s ability to manage his or her daily activities at home, work, or school, too.

Common mental illnesses include:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Makes it difficult for a person to stay focused on a task and leads to impulsive behavior. ADHD can affect both children and adults.
• Anxiety Disorder: Causes ongoing fear that something bad is happening or about to happen. People dealing with anxiety disorder often experience intermittent and repeated anxiety attacks that cause intense, persistent fear.
• Bipolar Disorder: Causes sudden shifts in a person’s activity levels, energy, and mood. Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive illness, and those dealing with bipolar disorder may experience extreme highs and lows that make it tough to perform everyday activities.
• Depression: Negatively affects the way a person feels, thinks, and acts. Depression is generally defined by feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in activities that a person previously enjoyed.
• Schizophrenia: Interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, relate to others, and manage his or her emotions. Schizophrenia is a long-term mental illness and can affect individuals of all ages.

Approximately 43.8 million Americans experience mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Additionally, NAMI reports roughly 9.8 million Americans experience a serious mental illness in a given year; a serious mental illness hinders a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.

 

Mental Illness Symptoms

Mental illness symptoms may affect a person both emotionally and physically. Common emotional symptoms of mental illness include:

• Anxiety
• Anger
• Depression
• Withdrawal from social situations
• Mood changes
• Inability to cope with daily problems
• Suicidal thoughts
• Inability to think clearly
• Ongoing fears
• Hallucinations and/or delusions

Common physical symptoms of mental illness include:

• Difficulty eating and/or sleeping
• Hyperactivity
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Low energy levels
• Reduced pain tolerance
• Body aches and pain
• Headaches
• Stomach pain
• Digestive issues

Mental illness also increases a person’s risk of substance use disorder (SUD), substance abuse that may cause health problems and behavioral issues.

Approximately 20.3 million U.S. adults deal with SUDs, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports. Among these adults, 37.9% were dealing with mental illness.

People dealing with mental illness and SUDs may be more susceptible than others to an alcohol or drug addiction as well. They may also struggle to recover from a traumatic event.

 

What Is the Link Between Mental Illness, SUDs, and Trauma?

A traumatic event refers to any experience that puts an individual or someone close to him or her at severe risk of harm or death. Common traumatic events include:

• Emotional and/or physical abuse
• Natural disaster
• Road accident
• Serious illness

A traumatic event usually results in a “fight or flight” response. In this instance, a person’s body is on high alert, leading to intense emotions and behavioral changes. At the same time, a person’s body produces chemicals that help him or her respond to a traumatic event. These chemicals may cause one or more of the following physical symptoms:

• Increased blood pressure and/or heart rate
• Extreme sweating
• Loss of appetite

Following these physical symptoms, a person may experience strong feelings of shock and denial. These feelings typically occur a few hours or days after a traumatic event. They may also lead to intense feelings of anger, guilt, and sadness.

The longer a person experiences intense feelings following a traumatic event, the more likely it becomes that he or she may suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

What Is PTSD?

PTSD is a psychiatric condition that causes four primary symptoms:

• Avoidance of people, places, and things that otherwise remind a person of a traumatic event
• Flashbacks or nightmares that cause a person to relive a traumatic event
• Increased arousal that hinders a person’s ability to sleep and causes him or her to become easily irritated and angered
• Negative thoughts or feelings and detachment from family members, friends, and other loved ones

Antidepressants may be prescribed to treat PTSD and its associated symptoms. Yet PTSD patients are sometimes prone to SUDs that lead to an alcohol or drug addiction.

The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) reports approximately 27% of veterans in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care diagnosed with PTSD also deal with SUDs. Furthermore, nearly one-third of veterans seeking treatment for SUDs are dealing with PTSD.

 

How to Recover from a Traumatic Event

A traumatic event puts an emotional and physical strain on a person. It also puts a person at risk of SUDs, PTSD, and various long-term health problems. Fortunately, there are lots of things a person can do to recover from a traumatic event, including:

• Look to loved ones for support. Family members, friends, and other loved ones can provide emotional support. Thus, a person should seek out loved ones whenever possible following a traumatic event.
• Take care of yourself. Self-care is paramount, particularly for a person dealing with a traumatic event. For those who find themselves constantly thinking about a traumatic event, take a break. It is also crucial to try to maintain a healthy diet, stay active, and avoid alcohol and drug abuse during this time.
• Get professional help. A traumatic event frequently results in emotional and physical symptoms that may cause a person to shut down. By contacting a doctor, an individual can share his or her emotional and physical symptoms with a medical professional and explore ways to address these symptoms.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a traumatic event, treatment options are available to help you manage your emotional and physical symptoms. If you explore all of the treatment options at your disposal, you can take the first step to manage the emotional and physical symptoms associated with a traumatic event.

 

Sources:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/physical-symptoms-of-depression#6

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/impact-traumatic-events-mental-health

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics