FAQ - Accessing Healthcare as a survivor of trauma
What is trauma?
Trauma can arise when we have experienced very stressful, frightening or distressing events that are difficult to cope with or out of our control. It could be one incident, or an ongoing event that happens over a long period of time.
Most of us will experience an event in our lives that could be considered traumatic. But we won't all be affected the same way. Trauma can happen at any age. And it can affect us at any time, including a long time after the event has happened.
What is this page for?
Sometimes trauma can make it more difficult to us to carry out life activities – including accessing health care. This FAQ is to consider what might make accessing health care easier if trauma is affecting your life. You may also find it useful if someone in your life is living with trauma. We have additional information for health professionals to help them understand how they might best support their patients who have experienced trauma.
This page is not specific to any particular form of trauma. We also have an FAQ specifically for people who have experienced sexual trauma.
Where can I find more information on living with trauma?
Mind have some useful information for people living with trauma.
It's ok to ask for help at any time. Even if you're not sure if you've experienced trauma or want to describe your experience that way.
What types of trauma are there?
Many experiences can be traumatic. And we all experience trauma in unique ways. But some experiences or events that lead to trauma are sometimes grouped together and given a name.
These terms normally describe how trauma affects people from certain groups, or in specific situations. This section explains some of these terms:
Childhood trauma
You may have experienced trauma during your childhood. These experiences may still affect you as an adult, especially if you didn't have support to manage the trauma at the time. Or if you experienced trauma continuously, over a long period of time.
Collective trauma
Collective trauma is when a traumatic event happens to a large number of people at the same time. This doesn't mean that everyone who experienced the event feels the same way about it. Or that they all feel it was traumatic for them. Everyone still copes with it in their own way.
Experiencing collective trauma can mean you experience personal symptoms and 'social symptoms'. Social symptoms can include how society has dealt with or reacted to the trauma. For example:
- If it isn't socially acceptable to talk about the event, or only being able to talk about it in certain ways
- If people avoid or discriminate against certain groups that might be unfairly blamed for the trauma
The anniversaries of a collective trauma might lead to events such as memorials and media coverage. You might find these events comforting ways of managing collective trauma. Or you may find them very difficult. How you feel about these anniversaries can also change over time.
Generational trauma
Generational or intergenerational trauma is a type of trauma that's experienced across generations of a family, culture or group. Trauma that happened in the past can have an impact on the current generations.
Racial trauma
The impact racism can have on your mind and body is sometimes described as racial trauma.
Find out more about racial trauma.
Secondary trauma
Secondary trauma is when you witness trauma or you're closely connected to it. But you don't experience the trauma directly. It's sometimes called vicarious trauma. Effects of secondary trauma are similar to general trauma. But you may find you also begin to feel detached from the trauma. Or treat it as a very separate part of your life.
What experiences might be traumatic?
There's no rule about what experiences can be traumatic. It's more about how you react to them.
What's traumatic is personal. Other people can't know how you feel about your own experiences or if they're traumatic for you. You might have similar experiences to someone else, but be affected differently or for longer.
Trauma can include events where you feel:
- Frightened
- Under threat
- Humiliated
- Rejected
- Abandoned
- Invalidated, for example your feelings or views have been dismissed or denied
- Unsafe
- Unsupported
- Trapped
- Ashamed
- Powerless
Ways trauma can happen include:
- One-off or ongoing events
- Being directly harmed or neglected
- Witnessing harm to someone else
- Living in a traumatic atmosphere
- Being affected by trauma in a family or community, including trauma that has happened before you were born
Some groups are more likely to experience trauma than others, and experience it more often. They include:
- People of colour
- People who have served or who are serving in the military
- People who are in prison or have been in prison in the past
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- LGBTQIA+ people
- People experiencing poverty
- Disabled people
- Neurodivergent people
For those of us who belong to these groups, we may find it harder to overcome trauma. This can be because there is a lack of support available or because of stigma and discrimination.
Coping with difficult feelings after trauma
The effects of trauma can last a long time. They might go away and come back. Or they can show up for the first time, long after the trauma has happened. We might experience overwhelming, distressing feelings related to the trauma at random times. This can happen even if we're feeling happy and well overall. Some life situations, especially if in some way they remind us of our trauma can feel difficult. It is possible that health appointments might be one of those situations for you.
How might trauma affect me when I access healthcare?
Sometimes when survivors of trauma visit a medical professional, memories can surface. This might be because of any reminders or triggers and the lack of control the person might feel. This can be so difficult that some people actively avoid seeking medical attention, putting their health at risk.
What can I do if I feel overwhelmed by my trauma during a health appointment?
Mind have these tips for coping with difficult feelings in the moment. They have more advice here.
Flashbacks
- Tell yourself that you're safe and the trauma isn't happening now.
- Touch or hold an object that reminds you of the present.
- Describe your surroundings out loud, count your footsteps while walking, or try to remember the lyrics to a song to distract yourself.
- Count objects of a certain type or colour.
Panic attacks
- Breathe slowly in and out while counting to five. There are videos online and apps you can use to help pace your breathing.
- Stamp on the spot.
- Taste mint-flavoured sweets or gum, or something sour.
- Touch or cuddle something soft.
- Wrap a blanket around you. A weighted blanket can help, if you find a sense of pressure comforting.
Dissociation or feeling spaced out
- Breathe slowly while counting.
- Hold an ice cube or splash cold water on your face.
- Touch something with an interesting texture or sniff something with a strong smell.
- Imagine a place that feels safe to you.
How can I plan ahead to make my appointment feel less traumatic?
You might like to think about what can help you to feel safe and calm. Here are some suggestions of what works for some people. They may not apply to you – we are all different. But they may give you ideas about what might help you.
- Taking someone you trust with you
- Knowing what to expect in advance
- Taking something with you to focus on in the waiting area – your phone, a book
- Asking for health staff of a particular gender
- If possible having an appointment at the start of the end of the clinic when it may be quieter
- Having something to look forward to after your appointment
- Reducing things that may trigger your trauma – e.g. asking people to speak in a gentle tone or to look you in the face so you can see that they are not a person from your past.
- Feeling as in control as possible – e.g. asking the staff to talk you through any procedure they need to do.
- Letting staff know that you may require extra time or support.
Should I tell health professionals that I am a trauma survivor?
It is always your choice to decide whether to disclose to a health professional that you have experienced trauma. However, choosing to do so can help the person delivering your care to make adjustments that can make you feel more comfortable.
If I choose to disclose, how can I make it easier?
Whether to share with someone that you have experienced sexual trauma is your decision - if, how, when, to whom and how much you disclose. You do not need to give details.
A way to do this that can feel less daunting is by using a trauma card. These can be handed to staff in a health service as a way of indicating that you may need some additional consideration without you actually having to say anything out loud. There is a card with space to add your requests about what might help you.
Support for other needs
You may also require additional support for other needs, for example if you have a disability, mobility issue or speak another language. We will be doing another article shortly about the support you can expect from services for such other needs. If these needs are catered for then it can make an appointment a more comfortable experience.
What can I do if I've had a bad experience of a healthcare procedure?
If you are a survivor of trauma and you have had a bad experience during a healthcare procedure there are steps you can take both for yourself and to improve things for others in the future:
- Don't blame yourself - whether or not you disclosed your trauma you should still be treated with care and dignity;
- Reach out for support - there are organisations who provide support to survivors of trauma;
- If you feel able, tell us your experience so that we can help improve services for others in the future. Contact us or submit your story via our have your say form.
- You can make a formal complaint - there are independent complaints advocates who can support you through this process.
Where can I get support about living with the effects of trauma?
Mind – has lots of useful information.
Your GP is always a good place to start. You can also refer yourself to Talking Therapies.
Depending on the origin of your trauma there may be specific support organisations – eg for veterans, for survivors of sexual abuse, for people who have experienced FGM or ‘honour based’ violence.
If you would like to talk to us about your individual circumstances and discuss services might meet your needs and area, you can contact us.
We are here to assist individuals living with the effects of trauma with all aspects of their health, care and wellbeing, as well as their friends, families and professionals engaging with them.
