Counselors share tips for coping with trauma

By Nicole Wadkins
Staff Reporter

The first week of October is Mental Health Awareness Week. This week is dedicated towards raising awareness about mental health, fighting stigma about mental health, and promoting wellness for everyone experiencing trauma or violence can affect anyone and there are ways to cope and take care of yourself. The tips below come from LCC’s licensed professional counselors, Pam Davis, Curlada Eure-Harris, Louise Rabidoux, and Jim Owens.

1. Take care of yourself.
   Get plenty of rest and try to maintain your usual daily routines. Eat nutritious meals and do activities that you find relaxing and soothing. Remember your reactions are normal responses to an abnormal event.
2. Recognize and understand trauma.
   Trauma may surface as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or coping behaviors like overworking, substance use, or compulsive habits. Being aware of these manifestations can help to clue you in on underlying trauma.
3. Scale your coping.
   Think of coping on a scale from zero (failing at coping) to (succeeding at coping). Use this scale to understand when you need to seek support and to prevent from getting overwhelmed.
4. Schedule time to address trauma.
   If your coping is around five or higher (in a scale from zero to ten), consider setting aside time to address your trauma. You can consider seeking emotionally safe, nonjudgmental counseling sessions with a Licensed Professional Counselor, Master of Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy or Licensed Psychologist.
5. Limit media exposure.
   Limit the amount of violence and other distressing topics that you consume through media. Step back when the content you are exposed to increases your stress or anxiety.
6. Seek support.
   Instead of coping alone, talk with a trusted friend or family member. They can get you the professional help you need. Seek consoling support on campus or in the community as needed.
7. Remember your value.
   It takes courage to be you and you have a unique contribution to make to the world. There is only one you and that separates you from others.
8. Recovery is possible.
   Trauma affects both the brain and the body, but it does not have to be permanent. By addressing and healing from it, people can gain new insights, resilience, and new skills.

Try out these tips and don’t be afraid to reach out for support. On the LCC website, students can visit the Counseling Services where they can schedule a meeting with one of the four counselors to schedule a meeting. Readers can visit our additional mental health resources webpage to find additional mental health resources.