Can a major life trauma significantly age a person?

Hvannort-
You have received a terrible trauma that strikes deeply at your emotional and physical well-being.
Having been through a trauma of social rejection far less than what has happened to you, I can confirm that our emotional and physical well-being is deeply interconnected.
I suggest that at this time you commit to giving yourself the most loving, nurturing physical care you've ever given to anyone. Love yourself deeply and trust that your heart is working to lead you to a new life.
(Also posted this on another discussion)

Thanks for the supportive message. I am trying very hard. I feel as if the trauma is aging me 10 years.

Are you considering seeking counseling? If so, please know that there are some excellent treatment options that don't necessarily mean long term therapy. If you do seek counseling make sure you interview the therapist in order their experience treating trauma, what tools they use and their experience, training in and credentials. I would also recommend researching the work of Bessel van der Kolk who is one of the top specialists in trauma and it's treatment. And you should know that recovery is possible and peace can be restored. I say this as a trauma survivor and a retired therapist. May peace be with you.

I encouraged with the statement “recovery is possible”. I am seeking therapy but all recommended therapist are booked months out. Thank you for your reply.

Trauma (physical or spiritual) can age a person very rapidly.

I had a job that was a slow-motion train wreck; in two years, I looked ten years older.

Having a stroke didn't exactly keep me young, either.

I see that someone recommended a counselor. I second this. The help I've received has made me feel that I've turned back the clock at least a little, and that has made a huge difference.

Hi,
How sad that you had trauma in your life recently! I hope it gets better for you. I had trauma also recently in that my husband of 30 years died two months ago. It was expected. He had lung cancer. But you are never ready for it. He was 83. I'm 78 and now I feel 88 after that experience! However, if you just pray and believe God will help you, he will! That's what I did and finally things have started to improve for me. I am more accepting of my situation and I have found many sweet, helpful people along the way; many of them right here on the Mayo Forum. Things will get better for you. With God you won't fail at anything. You may get older. That's part of the process but that's OK. It's normal. I will say a prayer for you.
God bless you!
PML

Having lived through many traumatic times and events, I can understand how it can age a person. Recovery is very individualized. For some, recovery may take a short time, while for others it's something that will be dealt with the rest of their lives.

Have you looked at online therapy? If you look at the APA website, you will find hundreds of therapists with a wide range of specialties. Many take Medicare, and there are always people with openings.

I hope you find relief soon.

Jim

Thank you so much for the helpful suggestion. I will try the APA site today. Hopefully I can recover in less than “years”.

@hvannort
Here is the American Psychology Association's (APA) website to search for a psychologist in your area. These are psychologists who are members of the APA.

APA Locator:

-- https://locator.apa.org/

You can find psychologists, social workers, and other therapists on this website. These are paid advertisements from therapists however I find this website to be a good place to locate therapists in your area.

Psychology Today: Find a Therapist:

-- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

Please stay away from BetterHelp.com and other such virtual therapy services. I've followed the research on BetterHelp.com and both patients and therapists have had poor experiences. If you'd like me to explain more on the research or provide research articles on BetterHelp I am happy to do that.

I am a therapist and I agree about Betterhelp.com and any other online service such as that. It hasn’t been good for clients or therapists. It is a business designed for a third party to profit.
Since covid, a lot of therapists did offer telehealth sessions, though, and many clients still prefer that. Especially Seniors who have trouble getting to an office.
Psychology Today is a good resource. It will give you a profile of the therapist including insurance they accept, specialty, etc.