If you find yourself avoiding certain places, people, conversations, activities, or situations because they remind you of something painful, you may wonder why you still react this way. Avoidance can feel like the easiest way to stay calm, but over time it can begin to limit your relationships, work, and everyday life. The National Institute […]

Feeling emotionally numb after trauma can be confusing. You may know that something affected you, but instead of feeling sad, angry, or afraid, you feel nothing. You may feel disconnected from yourself, your relationships, or things you once enjoyed. Emotional numbness can occur as part of a trauma response. The National Institute of Mental Health […]

Yes. Trauma can affect you years after an experience, even when you have continued working, maintaining relationships, and managing everyday responsibilities. You may notice anxiety, emotional numbness, sleep problems, irritability, avoidance, relationship difficulties, or strong reactions to situations that remind you of the past. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that PTSD symptoms […]

You know, logically, that what happened was not your fault. But you still think about what you could have done differently. You replay the situation, question your decisions, and wonder whether you should have noticed something sooner or responded another way. That can leave you carrying a painful question: “If it wasn’t my fault, why […]