Becoming a crime survivor can be a traumatic experience, whether it is a home invasion or someone snatching your purse. The physical and emotional reactions you may experience following the crime may be unexpected and may last for months or even years. Reactions to trauma vary based on many factors, including prior traumas, the perceived intensity of the crime, the age, sex, cultural values, and coping style of the individual. Two individuals may react to the same traumatic experience very differently.

Physical Reactions
At the time of the crime you may experience fight, flight, freeze or faint reactions. Any of these can be a normal physical response to a sudden, unexpected and frightening event. You may feel disoriented and numb. Your body may prepare itself to fight by relieving itself of excess materials (such as stomach contents) and pumping adrenaline throughout the body. You may experience an increase in breathing and heart rate, and an increased perception of a certain sense, such as hearing, while other senses seem to fade. Your body cannot stay in this state of hyper arousal for very long, and eventually you will begin to feel a sense of exhaustion and fatigue that can last for an extended period of time. You may experience a freeze or faint reaction. Your reactions at the time of trauma are typically out of your control, but your mind and body may have done whatever it took to ensure your survival. You are still here, so you must have done something right!

Following the crime your body may react while you are sub-consciously processing the traumatic event emotionally. You may be unaware of the ways you are responding emotionally to your experience, but may notice physical manifestations such as

• Difficulty concentrating
• Head and muscle aches
• Upset stomach
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue
• Sexual side effects
• Lowered immune system (you may get sick easier and more often)
• Increased blood pressure.

It is important that you pay attention to these physical symptoms and seek assistance from a doctor should they persist and negatively impact your every day life.

Emotional Reactions
Following the crime you may experience a broad range of emotional reactions to your experience. These may include:

• Anxiety: You may feel as though you are constantly worried about something.
• Difficulty coping: Everyday stressors that you used to be able to handle may seem overwhelming and impossible to face.
• Anger: At the offender(s); at yourself for not doing things that, in hindsight, might have protected you; at others for not protecting you or for not reacting the way that you hoped they would react to the stress you are experiencing as a result of the crime.
• Fear: of being alone or of being in the area or situation where the crime occurred
• Disorientation: your life may feel out of control. Sometimes you may forget things or lose track of time.
• Loss of trust: In yourself, in others, maybe in God and/or your belief system.
• Social Withdrawal: You may no longer feel like doing things that you enjoyed before the crime occurred.
• Sadness and Depression: It is important to pay attention to these feelings, and to seek help if they begin to interfere with your life.
• Shock or Disbelief: Did this really happen to me? You may feel like you are living in a dream. Or you may want to act as though nothing ever happened. Denying your experience often makes things more difficult, and the trauma you experienced may inconveniently resurface when you least expect it. It is important to recognize and process your reaction to the incident, but it should be done when you feel ready.
• Heightened emotions at trigger events: These could be the anniversary of the crime or significant events following the crime (such as court), or could be the experience of a sensory perception that happened at the time of or right before the crime (such as a doorbell ringing or the smell of gas). During these trigger events feelings or physical reactions that you may believe you have gotten past may resurface. This does not mean that you are back to the beginning of your healing process, but it is important to be aware of and process these reactions.

It is important to recovery that you recognize and process your emotional and physical reactions to the crime you experienced. Trauma resulting from experiencing a crime can trigger pain from past traumas, compounding your reactions. It can be extremely helpful to talk to someone about what you have been through. The Center has trained advocates that are available to talk and to connect you with any services you may need.