After the shocking events in London on the 7th July many of us have been left feeling confused and shocked. Whether you were in London or witnessed the events on the news, it is not unusual to feel unnerved or traumatised in the aftermath of such devastation. Here, iVillage advises on how to recognise the symptoms of trauma or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in yourself or your loved ones.

• London bombings: the aftermath in pictures
• Explosions in London: your reactions

What happens next?
People react differently and take different amounts of time to come to terms with what has happened. Even so, you may be surprised by the strength of your feelings - you may feel:

Frightened that the same thing will happen again, or that you might lose control of your feelings and break down.

Helpless that something really bad happened and you could do nothing about it. You feel helpless, vulnerable and overwhelmed.

Angry about what has happened and with whoever was responsible.

Guilty that you have survived when others have suffered or died. You may feel that you could have done something to prevent it.

Sad particularly if people were injured or killed, especially someone you knew.

Ashamed or embarrassed that you have these strong feelings you can't control, especially if you need others to support you.

Relieved that the situation is over and that the danger has gone.

Hopeful that your life will return to normal. People can start to feel more positive about things quite soon after a trauma.

What should I do?
Give yourself time
It takes time - weeks or months - to accept what has happened and to learn to live with it. You may need to grieve for what (or who) you have lost.

Find out what happened
It is better to face the reality of what happened rather than wondering about what might have happened.

Ask for support
It can be a relief to talk about what happened. You may need to ask your friends and family for the time to do this - at first they will probably not know what to say or do.

Talk it over
Bit by bit, let yourself think about the trauma and talk about it with others. Don't worry if you cry when you talk, it's natural and usually helpful. Take things at a pace that you feel comfortable with.

Get into a routine
Even if you don't feel much like eating, try to have regular meals and to eat a balanced diet. Taking some exercise can help - but start gently.

Do some 'normal' things with other people
Sometimes you will want to be with other people, but not to talk about what has happened. This can also be part of the healing process.

Take care
After a trauma, people are more likely to have accidents. Be careful around the home and when you are driving.

For more information and advice on seeking medical help, visit The Royal College of Psychiatrists online leaflet on Coping with Trauma

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
In our everyday lives, any of us can have an experience that is overwhelming, frightening, and beyond our control. Most people, in time, get over experiences like this without needing help. In some people, though, traumatic experiences set off a reaction that can last for many months or years. This is called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short. PTSD can start after any traumatic event. A traumatic event is one where we can see that we are in danger, our life is threatened, or where we see other people dying or being injured.

What does PTSD feel like?
Many people feel grief-stricken, depressed, anxious, guilty and angry after a traumatic experience. As well as these understandable emotional reactions, there are three main types of symptoms produced by such an experience:

1. Flashbacks & Nightmares
You find yourself re-living the event, again and again. This can happen both as a 'flashback' in the day, and as nightmares when you are asleep. These can be so realistic that it feels as though you are living through the experience all over again. You see it in your mind, but may also feel the emotions and physical sensations of what happened - fear, sweating, smells, sounds, pain.

Ordinary things can trigger off flashbacks. For instance, if you had a car crash in the rain, a rainy day might start a flashback.

2. Avoidance & Numbing
It can be just too upsetting to re-live your experience over and over again. So you distract yourself. You keep your mind busy by losing yourself in a hobby, working very hard, or spending your time absorbed in crossword or jigsaw puzzles. You avoid places and people that remind you of the trauma, and try not to talk about it.

You may deal with the pain of your feelings by trying to feel nothing at all - by becoming emotionally numb. You communicate less with other people, who then find it hard to live or work with you.

3. Being 'On Guard'
You find that you stay alert all the time, as if you are looking out for danger. You can't relax. This is called 'hypervigilance'. You feel anxious and find it hard to sleep. Other people will notice that you are jumpy and irritable.

Other Symptoms
Emotional reactions to stress are often accompanied by:

• muscle aches and pains
• diarrhoea
• irregular heartbeats
• headaches
• feelings of panic and fear
• depression
• drinking too much alcohol
• using drugs (including painkillers).

• have vivid memories, flashbacks or nightmares?
• avoid things that remind you of the event?
• feel emotionally numb at times?
• feel irritable and constantly on edge but can't see why?
• eat more than usual, or use more drink or drugs than usual?
• feel out of control of your mood?
• find it more difficult to get on with other people?
• have to keep very busy to cope?
• feel depressed or exhausted?

Younger children may have upsetting dreams of the actual trauma, which then change into nightmares of monsters. They often re-live the trauma in their play. For example, a child involved in a serious road traffic accident might re-enact the crash with toy cars, over and over again.

They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may find it hard to believe that they will live long enough to grow up.

They often complain of stomach aches and headaches.

How can PTSD be helped?

Helping yourself

Do ...

• keep life as normal as possible
• get back to your usual routine
• talk about what happened to someone you trust
• try relaxation exercises
• go back to work
• eat and exercise regularly
• go back to where the traumatic event happened
• take time to be with family and friends
• drive with care - your concentration may be poor
• be more careful generally - accidents are more likely at this time
• speak to a doctor
• expect to get better.

Don't ...

• beat yourself up about it - PTSD symptoms are not a sign of weakness. They are a normal reaction, of normal people, to terrifying experiences
• bottle up your feelings. If you have developed PTSD symptoms, don't keep it to yourself because treatment is usually very successful.
• avoid talking about it.
• expect the memories to go away immediately, they may be with you for quite some time.
• expect too much of yourself. Cut yourself a bit of slack while you adjust to what has happened.
• stay away from other people.
• drink lots of alcohol or coffee or smoke more.
• get overtired.
• miss meals.
• take holidays on your own.

• watch out for any changes in behaviour - poor performance at work, lateness, taking sick leave, minor accidents
• watch for anger, irritability, depression, lack of interest, lack of concentration
• take time to allow a trauma survivor to tell their story
• ask general questions
• let them talk, don't interrupt the flow or come back with your own experiences.

Don't ...

• tell a survivor you know how they feel - you don't
• tell a survivor they're lucky to be alive - they'll get angry
• minimise their experience - 'it's not that bad, surely ...'
• suggest that they just need to 'pull themselves together'.