Mental health care requires a lot of empathy and sensitivity towards the individual’s concerns. Mental health issues can arise because of diverse reasons and one of those can be experiencing traumatic incidents in life. Trauma-informed care can be pivotal for ensuring suitable help for individuals seeking help to overcome the darkest hour of their lives.
Through this blog, we have tried to emphasise the importance of trauma-informed care in mental health.
The blog discusses some sensitive topics that may evoke strong emotions. Please take care of your well-being and, if needed, feel free to step away, take a few deep breaths, have water and seek support.
Your well-being is of utmost importance!
Understanding Trauma
As we move along and learn more about trauma-informed care, here is an attempt to explain trauma. A traumatic event may occur once, multiple times or might be a series of long-lasting recurring events however the impact can be more or less disturbing for the individual who experienced it. Each individual may be impacted differently because of trauma. The mental, physical, social, and spiritual functioning of the individual can be impacted because of traumatic incidents.
A few examples of traumatic incidents include natural disasters, intimate partner violence and adverse childhood experiences. Post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, major depressive disorder and substance use disorders are a few mental health disorders that can develop as a consequence of traumatic incidents.
While the response to traumatic incidents may vary for each person, here are a few examples that can help in better understanding the impact of trauma:
- Emotional Reaction – Experiencing numbness, anxiety, guilt, helplessness, irritation, mood swings and feeling vulnerable.
- Physical Reaction – Gastrointestinal distress, sweating, heart palpitation, sleep disturbance, appetite changes and persistent fatigue.
- Cognitive Reaction – Difficulty concentrating, intrusive memories, difficulty decision making, racing thoughts, memory-related concerns.
- Behavioral Reaction – Restlessness, minimised activity level, argumentative behaviour, engagement in high-risk activities, avoidant behaviour.
- Existential Reaction – Questioning self-such as why did this happen to me? Feeling loss of purpose, hopelessness, despair regarding humanity, and decreased self-efficacy.
Insights About Trauma-Informed Care
In a mental health care setting, being trauma-informed can imply one is informed about as well as sensitive to the possible trauma-related concerns that individuals might experience. Being trauma-informed can help the healthcare provider fully comprehend the presenting concerns of the individual and accordingly, the specific treatment methodology can be applied. Trauma-informed care also actively focuses on minimising the chances of re-traumatization by creating a safe and supportive environment for those seeking help.
Those individuals with histories of trauma can expect the following to be essential components of trauma-informed care:
- Healthcare providers understand the prevalence of trauma
- Healthcare providers shall be mindful of the manifestations of trauma
- Healthcare providers respond in a suitable manner and make all possible efforts to prevent re-traumatization
Importance of Trauma-Informed Care
Mental health care requires a comprehensive plan, being trauma-informed is one of the many aspects of a well-informed treatment approach. Those who are seeking support can find trauma-informed care useful in the following ways:
- Feeling Safe
Promoting safety is a crucial component of trauma-informed practice. Healthcare providers should try to be consistent, respectful and an accepting environment for the client. This can further contribute towards a trustworthy therapeutic alliance.
- Client Autonomy
After a traumatic experience, one might feel a lack of confidence and therefore an empowering environment wherein the client is reminded of their powers, and their ability to make decisions can be helpful. This can involve encouraging the client to actively make choices regarding their treatment process for example – therapeutic modality being used, deciding upon the consultation day and time etc.
- Shared Responsibility
The clients can be assured that both mental health professionals and they as clients will collaborate to work on the concerns, develop goals and try to achieve them systematically. This can help the client feel a sense of comfort with the presence of a professional who shall be trying their best to support them.
Find Trauma-Informed Care at Athena Behavioral Health
At Athena Behavioral Health in Delhi NCR, India we provide an empathetic and safe environment that is focused on recognizing client strengths and fostering a sense of self-efficacy. We have well-qualified and trained mental health professionals who are well-informed about trauma and its consequences.
Our team of professionals also provides both in-patient and out-patient treatment facilities for diverse mental health disorders including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We actively work on educating the clients about trauma, helping them cope with flashbacks and using suitable techniques for managing their concerns.
If you or your loved ones recently experienced a traumatic incident then please feel assured that you can always find help and you deserve to feel better. You can reach out to us via mail at customercare@athenabhs.com or call us at +91 9289086193 and it shall be our privilege to help you feel and get better!
FAQs
Question 1 – What is the meaning of trauma-informed care?
Answer 1 – Trauma-informed care can be explained as the care provided while knowing trauma, and being sensitive to trauma-related concerns.
Question 2 – What are the goals of providing trauma-informed care?
Answer 2 – Trauma-informed care at Athena Behavioral Health in Delhi NCR, India is provided to ensure a safe and supportive environment for helping individuals cope with mental health challenges.
Question 3 – What is the relationship between mental health and trauma?
Answer 3 – Traumatic experiences can contribute towards developing certain mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder.
Question 4 – How can one overcome trauma?
Answer 4 – One can recover from traumatic events and trauma-related illnesses through social support, self-care techniques and professional help.
Question 5 – How to heal oneself mentally?
Answer 5 – There are diverse methods that can be used to improve one’s mental health such as regular exercise, practising gratitude, support groups and seeking help from mental health professionals.
