Trauma isn’t something you can just get over with a snap of your fingers. When we are traumatized, we always lose something.
If you missed our other blogs that are a part of this series of ‘Why You Can’t Just Get Over It’, click on the links below to find out more.
Why you can’t just get over it (Intro - Part 1)
Why you can’t just get over it (Denial - Part 2)
Why you can’t just get over it (Anger - Part 3)
Why you can’t just get over it (Bargaining - Part 4)
And, if you are continuing with us, let’s move into the fourth stage of the five stages of trauma together - Depression.
Stage 4: Depression
Following bargaining, the subsequent stage of trauma is depression. The anger and bargaining stages may be dynamic, while depression transitions to a more subdued and gradual stage of trauma.
The depression stage occurs nearly at the end of the trauma process after progressing through the coping stages of denial, anger, and bargaining. As other distracting emotions fade away, the heavy weight of loss and pain can lead to feelings of depression.
Depression can lead to various symptoms, such as the following:
- Emotions of sadness, despair, and emptiness
- Difficulty sleeping, like sleeping excessively or struggling to sleep
- Lack of energy
- Loss of interest in things you once found enjoyable, e.g., social events, sports, hobbies)
- Stress and agitation
- Feelings of guilt, blame, and worthlessness
- Modifications in your appetite, like decreased appetite or heightened food cravings
- Mental fog and diminished cognitive speed
- Decrease in reaction time and diminished body movement speed
- Memory problems, like difficulty recalling daily tasks
- Challenges with being decisive, such as determining food choices
- Issues with irritability, anger, or frustration over minor things
- Decreased libido
- Withdrawal from relationships
- Ideations of self-harm, mortality, or suicide
How to deal with stage 4
Depression can have a significant adverse impact on your ability to perform daily tasks. If untreated, severe depression can pose a risk to your life. To address these serious symptoms, seeking guidance from a medical or psychiatric professional is crucial to determine the most appropriate treatment. That may include therapy and/or medication.
When in therapy you can learn numerous coping tools that exist today to assist in managing depression. It necessitates a shift in thinking and broadening understanding of all parties involved can be beneficial though at times hurtful as you pull yourself out of feeling like a victim.