Understanding Trauma
Trauma refers to the emotional, psychological, and physical responses that individuals experience after being involved in a distressing or life-threatening event. For crime victims, trauma can arise from various situations, including assault, robbery, witnessing violent acts, or the death of a loved one.
Types of Trauma Experienced by Crime Victims
Crime victims may encounter different types of trauma, such as:
This results from a single, violent incident (e.g., a robbery or physical assault).
This occurs from repeated exposure to criminal activity, such as ongoing domestic violence.
This involves multiple traumatic experiences, often occurring in a relational context, such as a history of abuse or violence.
Common Reactions to Trauma
Victims of crime often experience a variety of emotional and physical responses, including:
- Fear and Anxiety: Persistent feelings of dread or heightened alertness.
- Anger and Irritability: Feelings of rage directed at oneself or the perpetrator.
- Sadness and Grief: Deep feelings of loss related to the trauma or changes in life circumstances.
- Fatigue: Chronic tiredness that can result from emotional distress.
- Sleep Disruptions: Insomnia, nightmares, or excessive sleeping.
- Physical Symptoms: Aches, pains, or gastrointestinal issues without a clear medical cause.
- Withdrawal: Isolating oneself from friends and family or avoiding social situations.
- Risky Behaviors: Engaging in self-destructive actions or substance abuse.
- Avoidance: Steering clear of reminders of the trauma, including places or people associated with the event.
Trauma Triggers
Trauma reminders, referred to as “triggers,” can cause anxiety and other types of emotional trauma. Triggers for some people may be the anniversary date of the crime, a birthday, certain smells or television shows or movies that involve crime. A person may not know what the triggers will be, how they will react to them, or when they will occur. For some people, triggers may become less frequent over time, last for shorter periods of time and the intensity of them may diminish.
Financial Assistance
If you have experienced a traumatic event, feel emotionally distressed and feel as if your life has changed, help is available. You may want to talk to a professional about the trauma, the anxiety, and emotion distress you may be experiencing. Talk to your advocate or an advocate through your local Victim Service Program and ask how you can receive financial assistance with counseling/therapy expenses by submitting a claim for those costs to the Victims Compensation Assistance Program.