Trauma reactions

Information about how to handle the reactions after a trauma.

When you get home

It is normal to experience a reaction after a serious incident

After a serious incident, it is normal for your thoughts to center on the experience. It can affect your body and mood.

The most common reactions are:

mood swings where you are easily moved to tears or become angry quickly
trouble sleeping
nightmares
anxiety, often accompanied by trembling, sweating or palpitations
a sense of surrealness or emptiness
feeling guilty
fatigue
decreased appetite
headaches
shortness of breath
reduced sex drive.

Speak with others about your experience

It is a good idea to talk to others about what happened in order to process the experience and begin to move on.

Be mindful of alcohol and sedatives

Increased use of alcohol or sedatives can make it harder to process the experience.

Get moving and spend time outdoors

After a traumatic experience, it is normal for your nervous system to stay on high alert for a while. Your nervous system will return to balance more easily if you eat healthily, stay active and get fresh air every day.

Contact your general practitioner if your reactions to the incident do not subside

In time, you will stop focusing on the incident. However, if your reactions last a long time or impact your daily life, you should contact your general practitioner and possibly get a referral to a psychologist.

Support your child if your child has experienced a serious incident

Children react very differently to traumatic events depending on their age, the reactions of their caregivers and community, etc.
It is important that you speak succinctly and clearly with your child about what happened and what is going to happen. Your child will need increased consolation and to be around you or other adults that they know well.
Inform your child’s teachers or preschool teachers about what has happened and ensure that their friends are notified and have the opportunity to talk openly about the incident.

Keep an eye on your child and seek help if necessary

You cannot always tell how your child is feeling or what they are thinking, and your child may not be able to verbalize it. This is why you should monitor your child and their reactions closely after a traumatic incident. Your child may:

have anxiety attacks
experience mood swings
become irritable
feel sad
change behaviour
become withdrawn
have difficulty concentrating
have trouble sleeping
have stomach aches or headaches
feel guilty about what happened.

Speak with your child’s general practitioner, the school psychologist or another professional if you need support and guidance.

Worth knowing

Check your medical journal and test results

On www.minsundhedsplatform.dk (in Danish only) you can see a summary of your treatment programme and any future appointments and test results.

You can access all the information registered about you by the public health services on www.sundhed.dk (in Danish only). They are both available as apps: MinSP and MinSundhed. Log on to the apps with your MitID.

Tell us about your experience

We would very much like to hear from you with both praise and criticism about your stay at the hospital. You can find contact information on our website www.amagerhospital.dk. If you are considering complaining about your treatment, you can contact the hospital's patient advisors, who are impartial advisers. You can read more about the possibilities to complain at www.regionh.dk/patientrights.

Your personal data

The Capital Region of Denmark uses the personal data you share with us when you make an enquiry.

Get more knowledge

Learn more about trauma and shock reactions

Learn more about trauma and shock reactions at www.patienthåndbogen.dk (in Danish only). Search for ’krisereaktioner’.

Contact Victim Support Denmark

You can get immediate and free support from Victim Support Denmark by calling 116 006. You will remain anonymous when you call. You can also read more about Victim Support Denmark at https://offerraadgivning.dk/about-victim-support-denmark/..

Family counselling and urgent help

Municipalities and various private organisations can help you if problems arise for you or your family. Read more at www.borger.dk (in Danish only). Search for 'Familierådgivning og akut hjælp'.

Redaktør

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