A Population of Traumatized Women

A significant number of women walk around their lives unaware of the trauma they carry with them. Trauma comes about as a result of witnessing or experiencing violence, whether physical, sexual or psychological, war, terrorism, accidents or natural disasters. It is likely that your wheels are turning, thinking back to a time that your experiences may have fallen under this category. If you experience stress and extreme emotion including anxiety and depression, then it is likely that you’ve experienced trauma and it has affected you and those around you.

Data shows that half of the people experience trauma at least once in their lives, but only a small percentage is indeed able to overcome the effects. As for the rest, the experience will have a long-term impact on them, often on an unconscious level. Not associating with people that remind you of specific events, for example, an accident attorney or having a phobia of trucks could be placed under the banner of “they weird me out” when it is avoidance as a result of witnessing or bring in a serious accident where there were perhaps fatalities or grave injuries.

One troubling statistic globally is that one in three women will get sexually assaulted in their lifetime with reports indicating the number could be higher due to unreported cases. Such events leave women psychologically scared, scar they carry with them well into their adulthood. You will find that many of these women, after the incident, developed coping mechanisms to deal with the magnitude of the experience. Later in life or when they gain freedom, they might end up using alcohol, drugs, and sex to cope and experience a wide array of emotions including anger, anxiety, a deep distrust in people, isolation, and even depression.

These symptoms are also evident in other who experienced other traumatic experiences. Of these, around eight percent of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The term commonly refers to veterans but women can experience the same after being in a car accident, sudden loss of a loved one, witnessing domestic violence or being sexually abused. However, of those listed, sexual abuse is different because it is a violation of an otherwise intimate experience.

Should you as a woman have experienced any of these events in your life, it might be likely that you are walking around with trauma and perhaps PTSD. It is common for women in such situations to take the blame for it and as a result hold themselves responsible for something they had no control over. It is likely that, among others, that is the reason most women don’t seek help. The fundamental point to note is that it is not your fault and that taking steps to heal from these experienced or learn healthier ways to cope is an act of self-love. That way, you can begin regaining your life back.