Meeting Melissa challenges with resilience and strength
Published:Wednesday | November 19, 2025 | 12:07 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
TRAUMA IS an emotional response to a terrifying event, while Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop if symptoms of trauma persist and interfere with daily life.
Most people who experience trauma will have initial symptoms like anxiety or sleep problems, but they usually improve over time. If symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, and mood changes continue for more than a month, it may indicate PTSD, which can be treated with therapy and medication.
According to Dr S. Virginia Gonsalves-Domond, professor of social/personality psychology, trauma is an emotional and psychological response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that involves an extreme threat to life or safety.
For example, experiencing or witnessing natural disasters, serious accidents, war, violence, or sexual assault. Common reactions include fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, difficulty sleeping, and intrusive thoughts.
Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm that hit the Caribbean in October 2025, has caused widespread and severe psychological trauma due to the catastrophic destruction, loss of life, displacement, and disruption of basic services. The trauma is an ongoing public health concern, with mental health support being a priority in recovery efforts.
Dr Gonsalves-Domond, speaking at a Weekly Seminar Series on the topic, ‘Meeting Hurricane Melissa’s Challenges With Resilience and Strength’, said symptoms of trauma include intrusive memories like flashbacks or nightmares, emotional numbness, avoidance of reminders, and heightened states of arousal like being easily startled or on edge.
Physical symptoms can involve sleep and eating problems, headaches, fatigue, and aches. Emotional and psychological symptoms also include anxiety, anger, irritability, and feelings of guilt or shame.
The main treatments for that trauma are talking therapies and medicine.
“Traumatic events can be very difficult to come to terms with, but confronting your feelings and getting professional help is often the only way of effectively treating trauma. It is possible for trauma to be successfully treated many years after the traumatic event or events occurred, which means it is never too late to get help,” Dr Gonsalves-Domond said.
Before getting treatment for trauma, a detailed assessment of your symptoms will be carried out to ensure treatment is tailored to your individual needs. You are likely to be offered treatment if you have had symptoms of PTSD for more than four weeks or your symptoms are severe.
There are a number of mental health specialists you may see if you have PTSD, such as a psychological therapist, psychologist, community psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist. Individuals can reach out to local health authorities, such as the Ministry of Health and Wellness, or international organisations operating in the affected areas.
Treatments for trauma and PTSD typically involve psychotherapy, such as trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, and/or medication like SSRIs.
Other effective therapies include Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Narrative Exposure Therapy. Often, a combination of both talk therapy and medication is the most effective approach.
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Helps individuals process traumatic memories and change negative thought patterns associated with the trauma.
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing: A therapy that helps you process traumatic memories by focusing on a back-and-forth movement (like a finger waving side to side) while recalling the traumatic event.
• Prolonged Exposure: Gradually helps you approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding.
• Cognitive Processing Therapy: Teaches skills to help you understand how the trauma has affected your thoughts and beliefs, and then helps you change them to be more balanced.
• Narrative Exposure Therapy: Focuses on creating a chronological account of your life and the traumatic events.
• Other therapies: Other therapies like Trauma-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Stress Management, and Supportive Counselling may also be used.
A mental health professional will assess your specific symptoms to create a tailored treatment plan. Support from family and friends is also an important part of recovery.
Sources: National Centre for PTSD