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The holidays bring the family together, which puts everyone into observation. From one holiday to the next, you may notice that a certain family member is acting differently. You may not be close to your family year round which means that you don’t have a close tab on what is happening in the personal life of every single family member. If there is one family member who caught your attention, give notice to what it is that caught your eye. You may not be able to pick up on exactly what has happened in your family member’s life. However, your intuition about something being wrong, like perhaps the development of trauma that is going untreated, could help save their life.

Trauma can be defined as any kind of life event which changes the way we feel about ourselves and our place in the world. The symptoms of trauma do not necessarily mean symptoms of PTSD, but can be similar. Withdrawal, isolation, and subtle symptoms of numbing are some of the most difficult symptoms to catch, identify, and try to make sense of. You might have noticed that…

Your family member seemed polite enough, quiet, withdrawn, and kept to themselves.

You watched closely as your family member interacted with others. When others were talking, they listened intently. As the conversation closed, your family member offered little in response. Things you remember normally exciting or engaging them don’t seem to interest them. Rather than be part of the holiday celebration, they seem to be drifting on the outside of presence. Quietly, slowly, subtly, they move through the celebration, being polite enough not to draw attention, but not being their normal selves.

Living with trauma means living with a constant rotation of deep, disturbing thoughts in the mind, feelings of depression, anxiety, panic, hypervigilance, numbness, and more. Without the right vocabulary or skill set to properly deal with depression, it can feel tremendously overwhelming. Some are capable of deflecting their trauma through bright, bubbly personality displays. Most display the symptoms of being withdrawn, quiet, and numbing.

Easily, you could pass it off saying they were tired, stressed, not themselves, or any other common excuse. A small amount of empathy, careful attention, and reaching out could help your loved one confront a difficult circumstance in their life and start the new year with the treatment and recovery they deserve.

Call The Guest House Ocala today for information on our residential treatment programs for traumas, addictions, and related mental health issues: 1-855-483-7800