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Trauma affects everyone differently and exposure to traumatic events can lead to a wide range of reactions. Sometimes, it is hard to see when certain physical and emotional symptoms are a result of adverse experiences.

The National Institute of Mental Health cites some of the following symptoms of trauma:

  • Headaches
  • Frightening thoughts
  • Feeling tense
  • Being easily startled
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Loss of enjoyment in activities
  • Social isolation

The resources on this page may be helpful if you would like to learn more about traumatic stress, or if you are interested in raising awareness about trauma among your peers or community.

Click on one of the documents below to open/download/save it.

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences Infographic

    This infographic explains Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and provides a few figures on the impact and prevalence of ACEs.

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  • Age-Related Trauma Reactions

    This resource describes how children of different ages may experience trauma reactions and provides suggestions on how to help depending on the developmental age of the child.

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  • Children and Trauma

    This article provides an overview of how repeated traumatic stress impacts the body’s natural alarm system, how this alarm system can be triggered and what this may look like in a child’s behaviors.

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  • Community Violence Fact Sheet

    This resource, targeted at teens, addresses community violence and ways to build resilience or provide support in the face of community violence.

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  • Cultural Responsiveness Infographic

    This infographic provides information on understanding cultural responsiveness to racial trauma for mental health providers.

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  • How to Support Someone who has Experienced Trauma

    This figure provides information and ways to support someone who experienced trauma

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  • Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences over the Lifespan

    A tool to assess an individual’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) score. This resource also provides information on how ACEs can impact behaviors and potential long-term effects if left unaddressed.

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  • Never Alone: Finding Hope After Trauma

    A story-based resource created by family members and young adults in Allegheny County to help illustrate how our experiences can impact us in different ways. Resources for those looking for support are included at the end of the booklet.

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  • The Childhood Trust Events Survey

    A traumatic events screening tool for children and adolescents.

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  • The Invisible Suitcase

    This resource explains the “Invisible Suitcase” that children involved in the foster system may carry with them and provides suggestions for resource parents on how to address what is inside.

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  • Trauma and the Family

    This resource provides information on how trauma can affect the entire family and ways to cope with those experiences as a family.

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  • Types of Racial Microaggressions

    This infographic is an expansion of Sue’s taxonomy’s framework for microaggressions where 16 categories of racial aggressions are identified in order to help avoid traumatization.

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