Post-Surgery Trauma: Symptoms and Coping

Surgery is a life-altering event. Enduring a minor or major procedure on the body can affect a patient’s lifestyle drastically. The primary focus of the surgeon is to treat the illness and make sure they help ease the pain that the patient feels from a physical standpoint. Healthcare professionals discuss the physical impacts, but they seem to skip over the mental and emotional struggle. The isolation, sudden loss of independence, and changes in a patient’s body could take a toll on an individual's mind. 

Surgical stress is often talked about synonymously with trauma injuries such as car accidents and major falls. Studies that have observed trauma patients have reported that the body heals physically before the brain does. Surgery is essentially disrupting the body's homeostasis, the steady state of functioning. Due to this interruption, the brain tends to take longer to process these wide array of changes.  

Symptoms

Post-surgery stress and depression could vary and begin at different stages for every patient. It is important to detect signs of mental trauma. Mayo Clinic describes the symptoms linked to memories, avoidance, mood, and physical and emotional reactions:

  • Unwanted memories or flashbacks of the event 

  • Upsetting dreams or nightmares linked to the event

  • Avoiding talking/thinking about the event

  • Avoiding places, activities, or people that trigger memories 

  • Negative thoughts about yourself and overall a low self-esteem 

  • Feeling detached from loved ones

  • Emotionally dumb and difficulty experiencing positive emotions 

  • Difficulty sleeping 

  • Easily getting irritated, angry, and frightened

How to Cope

Dealing with post-surgery trauma can be a strenuous task. It is vital to stay in contact with your doctor and make sure you are communicating with them about how you are doing physically and emotionally. Make sure you save your doctor’s contact and have the ability to get in touch with them when an emergency occurs. Additionally, keeping loved ones beside you during these hard times could benefit your health and well-being. Talking about the feelings you are enduring can be a good coping mechanism. The people you love and trust can serve as your support system during this challenging time in your life. Having someone to support you reduces feelings of isolation, loneliness, distress, and anxiety. If it is difficult to speak about your thoughts and emotions with another person, journaling and writing them down is a good tool.

Coming to terms with the cloud of feelings and thoughts you have racing through your mind can aid in processing the trauma you have experienced due to your surgery. It's also important to keep in mind that your body and mind are currently going through a stressful time. You should celebrate and reward yourself for the little tasks you accomplish throughout the day. This includes tasks as simple as showering, cooking a delicious meal, and completing household chores. Additional to this, take part in hobbies and activities that bring you peace and joy during this time. Embark on stress-free ventures such as meditation, gardening, scrapbooking, baking, knitting, and reading. 

Be kind to yourself and your body and remember that you are trying your best to accommodate your new living situation.

Amrutha Banda