In any given semester, college level students experience a multitude of stressors and possible trauma. On college campuses, it is reported that nearly two thirds of college students have experienced or been exposed to a traumatic event while being at school.
Trauma occurs when you experience a terrifying or life threatening event that leaves you in shock or fear. This can range from constant stress to experiencing an assault. While balancing your education, social life, mental and physical well-being, trauma may weigh heavily on you and make it hard to complete everyday tasks.
If you are experiencing trauma at school, you are not alone.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma can be defined as a direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury with the response involving fear, hopelessness, or horror. An individual's exposure to trauma can be so severe it interferes with their ability to live a normal life.
Traumatic events can be difficult to define because the same event may be more traumatic to some people than for others.
A traumatic event can be…
A recent, single traumatic event (e.g. violent assault, car crash)
A single traumatic event that occurred in the past (e.g. child abuse, death)
A long-term, chronic pattern (e.g. ongoing abuse)
Trauma at College
When you go to college, for most people it's their first time having extreme freedom, engaging in alcohol and partying, meeting new people, and living on their own. This is a big life transition that is difficult for many people although people still thrive. While being at college, you may meet new people, explore your identity, discover your interests and study.
In college, you may be at risk for experiencing trauma. You may experience an event that leaves you feeling scared or hopeless. The effects of trauma can occur days, weeks, or months after the event occurred.
Examples Of Trauma In College
School violence
School shootings
Threats
Sexual abuse
Rape, assault
Sexual violence
Unhealthy use of drugs or alcohol
Being dependent on the substance
Domestic abuse
Intimate Partner Violence
Natural disaster
Hurricane
Earthquake
Suicide / death (feeling suicidal? Help is only a phone call away at the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988)
‘Blacking Out’
This is when you drink too much alcohol, or too quickly, and it overwhelms the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for forming long term memories
This will result in not being able to recall the events you experienced that night
People encourage ‘blacking out’ and it is normalized among students. For some people, trauma is encountered through blacking out. This is a very real and dangerous occurrence. If you struggle with this, check out our blog “The Connection Between Binge Drinking in College and Mental Health.”
Trauma can have a profound impact in educational environments. It can be difficult to prioritize and attend educational tasks even long after trauma has occurred.
After experiencing trauma…
You may be in denial or shock
Have overwhelming emotions and flashbacks
Feel depressed or worthless
Experience increased stress (If you need help managing your stress, read our previous blog “Everything You Need to Know about Stress Management Therapy.”)
Inability to concentrate
It is common for people to develop anxiety disorders, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after exposure. You may feel alone or scared to discuss your experiences and feelings with friends or family, but luckily there are many counselors and therapists willing to help you.
“I Want To Speak To A Family Member/ Friend, But…”
“I Don’t Know Where To Start.”
It can be difficult and feel uncomfortable talking about trauma and certain experiences. When someone experiences trauma, they may start to feel depressed, angry, or confused. Many people repress these feelings and thoughts. Repressing is when you exclude distressing, thoughts, or feelings from your mind. This is a very normal response and can take someone years to want to uncover those memories. Although, it is very healthy and helpful to talk about something you went through, whether it's with a family member or someone you trust.
“How?”
It may feel frightening talking about these personal topics with people, especially if you want to ignore these events and feelings. Remember, it is healthy and it will feel good to talk about what happened. Once you decide you are ready to tell someone, think about someone you trust. It's important to confide in someone close to you that you have confidence in, so you don't have to experience any extra anxiety that they will tell someone.
“Who Might I Want To Talk To?”
Family members
Trusted friends
A trauma therapist
Maybe talking to a family member of a friend didn't go the way you planned, or maybe you didn't receive the support you need. Thankfully, there are millions of licensed trauma counselors out there happy to help and listen to you.
“How Do I Find A Therapist?”
Finding a therapist can be a scary and challenging process. Even considering getting a therapist is a great first step. Therapy will only help you be your best self.
You can:
Search online for a therapist near me
Search online for specific therapy, if you know what counseling you need
Utilize the school counselors at the college you attend
Trauma Therapy at Anchor Therapy
At Anchor Therapy, we have therapists for trauma who are here to help you process the traumatic event and teach you healthy coping skills so you can successfully move forward with your life. Our trauma counselors understand the nuances of complex trauma therapy and will be with you each step of the way in your healing journey.
Our trauma therapists are trained in evidence-based techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to provide structured trauma counseling so you can see results. If you are interested in learning more, read our blog “Everything You Need to Know About CBT for PTSD.”
How Do I Know If I’ve Experienced Trauma?
Some symptoms you may be feeling are:
Feeling sad or hopeless
Fear and anxiety
Anger and irritability
Mood swings
Withdrawal from friends or loved ones
Guilt and shame
Difficulty concentrating
Flashbacks
You may also experience physical symptoms such as:
Headaches
Irritability or agitation
Being easily startled
Headaches
Nightmares
Racing heartbeat
A Way To Break It Down
The 3 E’s Of Trauma:
Event(s)
When an individual is part of a situation that involves actual threat of physical or psychological harm (e.g. violence, abuse, loss)
2. Experience
The individual's perception of the event
What happened?
3. Effect
May occur immediately after or be delayed
An individual may not know that what they are feeling is tied to the traumatic event
Some psychological effects may include:
The inability to cope with normal stresses of daily living
Not being able to trust and benefit from relationships
Trouble managing cognitive processes (e.g. memory, attention, thinking)
Hard time regulating emotions (e.g. lashing out)
Trauma & Mental Disorders
Trauma may make you more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Leaving trauma untreated may result in depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Anxiety
Anxiety is a mental condition characterized by excessive apprehensiveness about real or perceived threats, typically leading to avoidant behaviors and often to physical symptoms.
Feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are out of your control, and are out of proportion to the actual danger. You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings.
Examples & Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Typical anxiety
Having difficulty concentrating, feelings restless, difficulty controlling feelings of worry
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Fear of situations in which you may be judged negatively
Worry about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
You may feel like you are being judged, intense fear when interacting with strangers, avoidance of speaking to people, intense fear of social situations
If you struggle with social anxiety, read our blog: “6 Helpful Tips for Living with Social Anxiety.”
Depression
Depression is a common and serious mental illness that negatively affects the way you feel, think and act.
Symptoms Of depression:
Constant feeling of sadness
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Changes in appetite
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Depression is a common problem that can develop after trauma. When you are depressed, you have feelings of sadness or low mood. When these feelings are long lasting, they can interfere with your daily life.
If you struggle with depression, read our blog “4 Ways to Naturally Treat Depression.”
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that develops in reaction to physical injury or severe mental or emotional stress. PTSD occurs as a result of trauma.
If it's been longer than a few months and thoughts and feelings from the trauma are upsetting you or causing problems in your life, you may have PTSD.
What Does PTSD Feel Like?
When you have PTSD, the world feels unsafe. You may have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping. You may also try to avoid things that you used to enjoy, or remind you of your trauma.
Symptoms Of PTSD:
Reliving the event via memories
You may have nightmares
You may feel like your going through the event again (flashback)
You may see, hear, or smell something that causes you to relive the event (trigger)
Avoiding things that remind you of the event
You may avoid crowds because they feel dangerous
For example, you may avoid driving if you were in a car accident
You may keep very busy or avoid getting help so you don't have to think or talk about what happened
Having more negative thoughts and feelings than before the event - the way you think about yourself and others may become more negative because of the trauma
You may feel numb (e.g., unable to have positive or loving feelings toward others)
You may think the world is completely dangerous and no one can be trusted
You may feel guilt or shame about the event, wishing you had done more to keep it from happening
Feeling on edge- you may always be alert or on lookout for danger
You may have a hard time sleeping
You may find it hard to concentrate
You may be startled by loud noise or surprise
You may act in unhealthy ways, like abusing drugs or alcohol
5 Signs You May Have PTSD
Vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now)
Intrusive thoughts or images
Nightmares
Intense distress
Physical sensations such as pain, nausea or sweating
How Can I Cope With PTSD?
Luckily there are healthy ways to cope with PTSD. The following techniques may help reduce the severity of your symptoms, lessen the frequency and make it more bearable.
Deep breathing
Mindfulness (If you want to learn more about how mindfulness is incorporated into trauma counseling, check out our blog “Everything You Need to Know about Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).”)
Self-monitoring
Social support
Expressive writing
I resonate with this blog, but what if the trauma didn’t happen to me directly?
Although many people believe trauma is associated with a direct experience that happened to you, witnessing something so severe can leave you traumatized. This leaves you with secondary traumatic stress. This is the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another. This can include exposing someone to descriptive details about the events that occurred.
How Do I Know If I Have Secondary Traumatic Stress?
You may experience the same symptoms of people who experience trauma firsthand. Even though it didn't happen to you, you can still be at risk for experiencing psychological and physical symptoms.
You May Feel…
Sadness
The need to avoid people or places
Hopelessness
You can still reach out for help to a trauma therapist if you have secondary PTSD!
Types of Therapy for PTSD
Reaching out to a therapist can help you deconstruct your thoughts and feelings, and help you process the event that took place. A very common and useful technique to help people work through their PTSD is CBT.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
CBT is an evidence-based treatment which focuses on identifying, understanding, and changing thinking and behavior patterns. CBT for PTSD leads to improvement in functioning and quality of life. CBT for trauma is a common type of talk therapy, which will help you become aware of negative thinking so you can face challenging situations in a more productive way.
What Happens During PTSD CBT Sessions?
During the session, you will work with your therapist to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, feelings, and physical actions
You and your therapist will analyze these areas to work out if they are unrealistic or unhelpful and to determine the effect they have on you
You and your therapist will be able to work on changing specific thoughts and behaviors that can be harmful to your mental health
Will CBT for PTSD Help Me?
Yes! CBT for trauma is proven to significantly improve the quality of one's life. If you and your therapist decide CBT is a good fit for you, it can be extremely effective.
What Do I Do If I've Experienced Trauma?
First take a deep breath, it'll be okay.
Look for resources on campus
Look at the school website
Check health centers
Reach out to friends and family (if you're comfortable)
Search online for a therapist
Search for ‘therapist near me’
At Anchor Therapy, we have trained trauma professionals who can help
You can partake in self care, mindfulness, and meditation to help
Journaling
Writing down feelings, emotions and thoughts can help
Physical activity burns adrenaline and releases endorphins
Endorphins make the brain feel good
Trauma & Therapy
If you ever feel ready, going to therapy can help sort out your feelings, process what happened, and overall help you be your best self. There are many different types of therapy that can help you.
Trauma Informed Therapy
can benefit you in many ways. There are different approaches such as somatic experiencing/ mindfulness, trauma focused CBT, narrative therapy, and exposure therapy. Regardless of what techniques you and your therapists decide, all will help you feel like your best self again.
Somatic Experiencing/ Mindfulness
will help you work on relaxation techniques to help control your body when experiencing symptoms of trauma
Mindful breathing for when you feel disoriented, have racing thoughts, or experience a sudden change in mood
Sensory work to identify what sounds, smells, and tastes trigger you, as well as which help you relax
Grounding exercises to work on being present in your life, such as muscle relaxation
Trauma Focused CBT
allows you to identify thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are a result of your trauma
CBT is a short-term intervention
You will learn to limit and modify negative thinking and reactions
You will reorganize your thinking to a healthier way
Narrative Therapy
will help you focus on the trauma but at a pace that allows you to feel safe
Will help you make sense of the experience, while releasing the memories that have been buried deep in your mind
You will ‘Restory’ which involves going over the experience multiple times to reduce the feelings of shame and self-blame
The will allow you to take control over the narrative (event)
Exposure therapy
is commonly used to help people confront their fears
It will teach you how to gradually approach trauma- including related memories, feelings and places
There are 2 forms of exposure therapy
Imaginal exposure is when you describe an event in a lot of detail
You do so in the present tense with the guidance of a trained trauma therapist
In vivo exposure is when you confront your fears outside of counseling for trauma, often assigned as homework
You and your PTSD therapist will work together to identify situations that are connected to your traumatic fear
Battling Past Trauma While In College
Many people experience childhood trauma, and while children are resilient and the trauma occurred years ago, certain behaviors and emotions may arise in your later years.
What Is Childhood Trauma?
Childhood trauma is the experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.
Leading Causes of Childhood Trauma include:
Bullying
Accidents
Dysfunction in the house (domestic violence)
Sexual abuse
Stress caused by poverty
Physical abuse or neglect
Separation from a parent or caregiver
Emotional abuse
Violence (at home, at school, or in the community)
What Are Some Effects Of Childhood Trauma In Adulthood?
Although childhood trauma occurs during the early years of development, it still affects the way we act in the future. Early trauma in childhood changes the developing brain because an environment characterized by abuse and neglect, for example, causes different adaptations of brain circuitry.
This brain development is different from someone who was raised in an environment of safety, security and love. Childhood trauma is so severe because it can affect your brain and the way you think for the rest of your life. The earlier the distress, the more profound effects on adulthood.
Some effects include:
Low self esteem
Difficulties in relationships
Higher rates of anxiety and depression
Emotional outbursts
Lack of direction
Difficulties in social settings
Health problems
Loss of childhood memories
Avoidance
To learn more, read “How Childhood Trauma Can Impact You As An Adult.”
How Do You Resolve Trauma In Adulthood?
It may feel extremely difficult to battle past trauma while trying to enjoy life, but luckily there are many tools and people to help you. It is never too late to reach out for help. Start with these three steps.
Three Steps:
Recognize the trauma
Be patient with yourself
Reach out for help
To learn more, read our popular blog “How To Heal Childhood Trauma As An Adult.”
Relationship Trauma
In college, it is very common for people to be in relationships. It is hard to balance a healthy relationship along with your studies, especially because most people are partaking in long distance relationships while being away at college.
Am I In A Healthy Relationship?
Most people are in healthy relationships. Partners in healthy relationships respect each other's privacy and space.
Your partner should:
Encourage you to hang out with friends or family without them
Motivate you to participate in activities you enjoy
Allow you to not be with them 24/7
You should feel comfortable expressing concerns or feelings with them.
5 Signs You Are In A Healthy Relationship:
Trust
Respect
Honesty
Affection
Communication
What Is A Toxic Relationship?
On the opposite side of healthy relationships, there are toxic, or unhealthy relationships. A toxic relationship makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, or attacked. A relationship is toxic when your well being is threatened in some way- emotionally, physically or psychologically.
How To Tell If You Are In A Toxic Relationship
You May Feel Like:
Your self-esteem has decreased significantly since entering your relationship
You are constantly being disrespected
You feel depressed, angry, or tired after speaking or spending time with your partner
You feel attacked, unsupported and misunderstood
You are not the best version of yourself when you are with your partner
You are always being blamed for the relationships flaws
You have to walk on eggshells around your partner or you will be attacked
Some Examples of Different Types Of Toxic Relationships Include:
When your partner is constantly cheating
When one person intentionally hurts the other person (can be mean words or actions, physical, manipulation)
When one person is abusive (repeatedly hurting you in one way or another)
When there are negative behaviors
When one person lacks self-awareness
If any of these resonated with you, it may be time to evaluate your relationship.
How Do I Cope With A Toxic Relationship?
If this is a toxic relationship you can work on, contacting a couples counselor can help you and your partner navigate tricky times. Couples therapy will provide you with effective communication strategies and helpful coping skills.
Steps You Can Take To Cope..
Openly discuss what you view as a problem in your relationship. Together you can decide if both of your needs are being met
Understand some people are not willing to change their behavior
Be assertive regarding your needs
Re-evaluate your relationship genuinely by asking yourself how much this person impacts your self-esteem and mental health
Limit the time you spend with someone who brings unhappiness into your life
If you are dealing with a toxic relationship, everything will be okay. Take time to think and re-evaluate because your well-being comes first. Reach out to friends, family, or a relationship therapist for more support.
How Can I Balance Dealing With Trauma at College?
Under any circumstances, dealing with trauma can be extremely hard. In college, it can be even more difficult to overcome and appropriately heal from your trauma. While balancing the many aspects of college, the additional stress from trauma can make it feel impossible to conquer. Luckily there are healthy ways to cope and deal with the trauma while being a student.
Some helpful activities include:
Getting active
Partaking in physical activity will release endorphins which make you feel good
Taking a walk
Hanging out with friends
This can help you increase your sense of belonging, self confidence, and help reduce stress and anxiety
Joining clubs or organizations
This can help you improve your social life by allowing you to meet other with common interests, which can benefit well-being
Engage in self care
Self care looks different for everyone, bu you should do one thing a day that makes you happy
Some examples of self care include:
Taking a relaxing bath
Going for a walk
Journaling feelings
Practicing good personal hygiene
Doing a hobby you enjoy
Battling trauma in college is difficult but possible, especially with the assistance of a trauma therapist. Anyone is resilient to overcome these adversities and heal from trauma. You can do it!
Sabrina Zayas
is studying Human Services with a concentration in Administration and Family Policy at the University of Delaware. She’s a senior and plans on getting her Master’s in Social Work after she graduates. In the future, she would like to work in domestic violence or homeless shelters, hospitals and schools as a social worker, and her ultimate dream goal is to be a therapist.
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