An Informal Trauma Assessment Tool from Catalina Behavioral
Those experiencing mental health issues after a traumatic event may not immediately connect the two. However, trauma-related symptoms can lead to steep declines in mental and physical health with a spiraling impact on your life.
Our Do I Have Trauma? quiz can help you discover if it’s time to seek guidance from a licensed mental health professional for trauma or other mental health treatment.
Catalina Behavioral Health team is among Tucson, Arizona’s most respected mental health treatment centers. We have seen firsthand the increased risk of self-harm in people who don’t recognize the trauma and seek professional, effective treatment.
Keep reading to learn more about our informal trauma quiz, which helps you explore past trauma. The results can encourage you to get the help you need for your mental health conditions, including potential post-traumatic stress disorder.
Childhood Trauma (or Other Mental Health Conditions) Quiz
Before we discuss this complement to our adverse childhood experiences (ACES) trauma test, please understand that this is an informal self-assessment, not a formal diagnostic tool. It can help you explore your negative thoughts, especially as related to your current mental health systems. A clinical diagnosis can only come from a licensed mental health professional, not an online quiz.
If you feel overwhelmed or like you need immediate help while taking this childhood trauma test, please connect with Catalina right away. We’ll be glad to discuss your mental health symptoms – and it’s confidential to reach out.
Here are the questions to consider while taking the traumatic experiences quiz and what each could indicate:
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1 – I have difficulty trusting others.
This question is key to our trauma treatment quiz because betrayals during childhood make it hard to rely on others to do the right thing. Children who experienced physical abuse, especially at the hands of a parent or family member, see betrayal as the “norm.” Prolonged exposure to neglect or emotional abuse makes these individuals wary of others.
2 – Frequently, I feel fear or anxiety.
Traumatic memories – either a single traumatic event or those accumulating throughout childhood – can lead to potential mental health issues. Understanding these feelings can help identify potential unresolved traumatic experiences and connect them to a current decline in emotional well-being.
3 – I have difficulty forming close relationships.
People struggling with the negative effects of past experiences may not form healthy attachments. They hesitate to be vulnerable due to intense fear of rejection. The trauma impacts their readiness to welcome another person into life, often perpetuating loneliness.
4 – Sudden mood swings or irritability are frequent.
Moodiness is a sign of underlying trauma, especially when intrusive thoughts or memories bubble to the surface. These mood swings can mean a lack of emotional regulation due to distressing events.
5 – Recurrent nightmares or flashbacks occur often.
Flashbacks and nightmares are the signs of PTSD we’ve all seen in movies. They reveal how the mind is still struggling to make sense of past events. These could be a single event, such as a natural disaster or sexual assault. But they could also indicate growing up in an unstable home, like children whose parents who neglected their kids because of substance abuse.
6 – Sometimes, I feel detached or disconnected from reality.
Dissociation, or detachment, is one of several subconscious coping strategies for trauma. It helps people live with specific events while distancing themselves from the pain. It indicates a need for professional mental health care.
7 – I avoid certain people or places.
Avoidance behaviors help people steer clear of certain things that trigger their painful memories. It indicates the presence of trauma or other mental disorders and requires professional help.
8 – I’ve forgotten parts of my childhood.
Memory gaps are another subconscious tool designed to help provide a buffer from grief or trauma. It’s a defense mechanism. An example is someone whose home was a place of ongoing domestic violence; the person blocks out the pain of those memories.
9 – Feelings of guilt or shame arise often.
Low self-worth, guilt, and shame are common in betrayal trauma survivors particularly, but also across the spectrum of trauma disorders. It comes when they develop negative thoughts about themselves in the context of childhood trauma. For instance, they might feel they failed to protect a parent suffering from a life-threatening illness and suffer from low self-esteem as a result.
10 – I have depression.
Depression often co-occurs with ACES trauma. It can be hard to tell which came first, the depression or the trauma. Both require professional therapy.
11 – I constantly stay on guard.
Someone who has survived trauma may believe a life-threatening event lurks around every corner. They become hypervigilant or live in a constant state of alertness.
12 – I struggle with staying on task or focused.
Trauma can cause someone to have difficulty concentrating. The intrusive memories about the event can make their way into daily life, often at the most inopportune moments, preventing them from experiencing joy in everyday life.
13- Physical symptoms (i.e., headaches or stomachaches) happen without cause.
Physical health or somatic symptoms can arise from the stress of unprocessed trauma. They may seem unrelated to mental health conditions, but telling a therapist can help them gain insights that will inform evidence-based treatment.
14 – I feel emotional numbness or difficulty with emotions.
Similarly to dissociation, emotional numbness helps to keep people who need trauma recovery an arm’s length away from the pain. Keeping this distance can help them function, at least for a while. In time, they will be ready to take the next crucial step and get help.
15 – I have difficulty sleeping.
Sleep loss is common among trauma survivors. Besides the nightmares mentioned earlier, they may have difficulty quieting the mind to fall asleep and remain sleeping. These symptoms can go away with treatment.
This checklist explores trauma-related psychological symptoms. It can help you reflect on potential symptoms of childhood trauma. For a more comprehensive evaluation, consider seeking support from Catalina Behavioral Health.
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Use Your Self-screening Tool to Get Mental Health Treatment
Have you completed your trauma quiz? If yes, then you have a new self-awareness and gained information on how childhood trauma still impacts you every day.
Upon completing the assessment, we ask you to call Catalina to share your results. Our team has extensive experience in trauma-informed treatment and can help you take the next step – getting the help you need to process your childhood trauma.
Why Choose Catalina for Trauma-informed Care?
Catalina offers clients a full continuum of care. We have customized programs that can treat all facets of trauma and any co-occurring disorders. The following are just some of the services we offer:
- Insurance verifications and pre-authorization
- Psychotherapy with licensed professionals
- Medication management
- Behavioral therapy
- Individual therapy
- Peer support groups
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Music and art therapy
- Family therapy
- Aftercare planning
We will meet you where you are, offering the proper level of evidence-based care to support you during trauma recovery.
Treating Potential Mental Health Issues Related to Trauma
Our team has helped countless clients recover from trauma-related mental health issues. Some of the causes of their trauma have been:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Grief (loss of a close family member)
- Migration after war or famine
- Natural disasters
Catalina offers a safe space for recovery as our team addresses past trauma-related symptoms. We also help clients manage the grief, low self-worth, and fear that come from those traumatic memories. Effective treatment minimizes the negative effects of distressing events on clients’ lives.
We can’t undo or reverse the traumatic event. But we can help you move on from harmful past experiences with grace and dignity.
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Connect With us for Effective Trauma Treatment
Untreated traumatic memories can lead to increasingly worse PTSD or developing additional mental health conditions. The Catalina Behavioral Health team can provide you with an accurate clinical diagnosis and assess how adverse childhood experiences have contributed to your decline in mental and physical health.
We will treat you to care for your PTSD and any related mental disorders. You’ll discover new coping tools designed to help manage triggers and return to everyday life a stronger and more resilient person.
You will receive immediate help from our admissions team when you call Catalina. They’ll speak with you about your concerns. If you are experiencing depression, low self-worth, or anxiety along with PTSD, mention these. You’ll give our admissions rep a more precise look at your trauma so they can suggest the best mental health treatment plan. They’ll also help you leverage your insurance benefits to minimize treatment costs.
Are you ready to overcome your PTSD? Call us confidentially today to get help right away.