Final answer:
In coping with traumatic events, psychologists recommend getting support and talking about feelings, as part of emotion-focused coping. Other effective methods include expressive writing and, for controllable stressors, adopting problem-focused coping strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
When psychologists recommend coping strategies for dealing with traumatic events, one effective method is getting support from others and talking about the feelings you are experiencing. This aligns with emotion-focused coping, which involves efforts to change or reduce the negative emotions associated with stress.
Various studies and theories, such as those by Lazarus and Folkman, emphasize the importance of supportive networks and communication in dealing with stressors. Expressive writing is another tactic often suggested by psychologists, as it has been shown to boost short-term memory and facilitate the emotional processing of traumatic events. This writing task specifically brings benefits when reflecting on traumatic experiences.
Psychologists discourage immediate emotional distancing, such as leaving and never returning to the physical area where the event occurred, as it may prevent the necessary processing and coping with the trauma.
Adopting a problem-focused coping approach when facing controllable stressors, such as seeking solutions and making proactive changes, can also be beneficial for managing stress. In contrast, emotion-focused coping is more effective when dealing with uncontrollable stressors like dealing with grief.
It is important to recognize that while some immediate emotions such as surprise, fear, anger, and sadness may arise in response to traumatic events, ongoing coping strategies should include measures to address the emotional impact and processing of the trauma.