Trauma

Very frightening or distressing events may result in psychological harm. This harm is called trauma, and can affect a person’s ability to cope or function normally.

Everyone's reaction to potentially traumatic experiences is different. Most people recover well with the help of family and friends and do not experience long-term problems.

Most people who experience a traumatic event will not require treatment. For others, treatment from a mental health professional will be required to help them process the experience safely.

Treatments include trauma-focused psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR).