When you put tension on a rubber band, there are a few things that can happen. It might stretch and then return to its prior state when you let go. It might stretch, but not be elastic enough to return to its original size, so it is changed permanently. It could also break under the pressure. People can be the same way. When they go through a difficult experience, it can leave them changed, broken, or just be an unpleasant blip of a memory, as they move forward with their life. Resilience is what determines how we handle difficult events. At Palms Behavioral Health, in Harlingen, Texas, we help patients in our inpatient and outpatient programs to develop their resiliency in the face of adversity.
Normal Responses to Abnormal Situations
It’s important to remember that if someone is unable to simply bounce back from a devastating event, this does not make them a weak or bad person. They are just responding to an abnormally painful or stressful event in a way that is entirely normal. Sometimes we just experience things that exceed our ability to cope. When that happens, we have experienced trauma. Some examples of events that are commonly considered traumatic include:
- Abuse – mental, physical, or sexual
- The sudden loss of an important relationship due to death, divorce, placement in foster care, etc.
- Natural disasters
- Warfare – combat or living in a war zone as a civilian
- Physical injuries
- Witnessing violence
- Serious automotive accidents
- Major medical incidents
- Terrorism or mass violence
Trauma Reactions
What is traumatic for one person may be only moderately upsetting for another. While one person may be unhappy about an outcome, another person may have more severe reactions that could require professional interventions to address, such as:
- Reexperiencing the event through nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts about the trauma
- Prolonged mental changes, including loss of hope, sadness, irritability, inability to feel anything, difficulty focusing and making decisions, being on edge all of the time, guilt, shame, placing blame on themselves, inability to trust other people, avoiding people, places, or things that remind them of the event, being unable to remember important parts of the trauma, and engaging in risk-taking behavior
- Physical reactions such as digestive issues, headaches, insomnia, increased substance use, or disregarding self-care
When someone experiences several of these symptoms and they don’t go away over time, it could indicate that they are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other problems that can result from trauma include depression and suicidal ideation.
Bouncing Back
When looking at why some people are able to bounce back and others are not, researchers have been careful to point out that it isn’t because one person is just stronger, smarter, or better than another. It has to do with the resources that a person can draw upon to help them through difficult times. This could include things like:
- Supportive friends and family
- Professional care, such as grief support, therapy, or medication
- Encouragement and hope from other people with similar experiences
- Having a physical outlet for difficult feelings through exercise
- Being able to prioritize self-care, such as getting enough sleep, following a nutritious diet, giving yourself breaks for rest, and staying away from alcohol and other drugs
- Doing things that reinforce self-worth and purpose, like caring for others, volunteering, or working
- Having a solid routine they can follow to maintain a bit of normalcy
- Engaging in meditation and mindfulness strategies
- Knowing how to break down big, challenging tasks into several smaller, more manageable steps, which promotes a sense of accomplishment and capability, instead of becoming overwhelmed
These are generally helpful to people coping with challenges, regardless of age. Another way to explain these foundations of resilience is that they help people to build/rebuild “The Seven Cs”:
- Competence: Being capable of handling difficulties
- Confidence: Knowing they are strong
- Connection: Having other people to lean on
- Character: Adhering to their values and beliefs
- Contribution: Having a reason to keep going
- Coping: Being able to manage stressful situations
- Control: Knowing that their choices impact their outcomes
People Most Likely to Struggle Following Trauma
The people who are least likely to have the resources to bounce back include:
- Those who already had mental health struggles before a traumatic event occurred
- Anyone who already had a trauma history
- People with a family history of mental health diagnoses
- Those who felt their lives were in danger during the trauma
- Anyone whose life was already stressful when the trauma occurred
At Palms Behavioral Health, our caring staff creates individualized treatment plans with each patient we serve, taking their unique strengths, resources, and needs into consideration. We offer trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment for adolescents, adults, and older adults who are experiencing psychiatric symptoms.
