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for your spouse or partner A traumatic event is an incident that
causes physical, emotional, psychological, or mental harm. The
person experiencing the distressing event may feel threatened,
anxious, or frightened as a result. In some cases, they may not
know how to respond, or may be in denial about the effect such
an event has had. The person will need support and time to
recover from the traumatic event and regain emotional and mental
stability. Examples of traumatic events include: People respond
to traumatic events in different ways. Often, there are no
visible signs, but people may have serious emotional reactions.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), shock
and denial shortly after the event is a normal reaction. They
are often used to protect oneself from the emotional impact of
the event. The victim may feel numb or detached, and may not
feel the event’s full