Trauma of Burglary

I will never forget the ripple of "oh my God, this is not happening" when we realized our home had been burglarized.

That was the beginning of the effects of the burglary.

The monetary value we lost was trivial compared to the sentimental value of items stolen. Electronics taken included our camera and laptop. Digital negatives of our wedding, birthdays, anniversaries, vacations...all gone. And if these jerks were looking through the photos, they had no right. Absolutely no right. Those memories belong to us. Not them.

We don't have much jewelry but included in what was taken - a wedding band, rings passed down from an auntie and my mother, earrings my mother gave me for my 18th birthday...how dare they...

On top of that, we were afraid to leave the house. Fear of being burglarized again, being violated again, made us not want to go to work and leave the house unattended. We were fearful to run simple errands like grocery shopping. We cancelled vacation plans. Essentially, it temporarily paralyzed us.

Then, the fight response really kicked in to high gear. Police told us to expect these jerks to come back and try breaking in our home again. Part of us said, "hey, ok, you come down our street...we'll kick the crap out of your big bad a$$."

These are just a few examples of what goes on in a victim's mind after a burglary. Criminals breaking into one's home, where a person is supposed to feel most safe and at ease, is a very traumatic event. If you've recently experienced a burglary, you're not crazy for thinking/feeling some of these same things.

Initially, it helped a lot to talk with family and friends. Now that a few months have passed, I don't really want to talk to them anymore nor do I really want to talk about the event. I know some healing has occurred because the nightmares are gone. However, I'm still battling other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Particularly:

• Exaggerated response to things that startle me
• Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
• Palpitations

Now would be a good time to consider talking to a counselor or therapist. We're fortunate our employers offer an EAP- Employee Assistance Program. Find out if your employer offers this as part of your benefits. Typically, an EAP program provides 2-3 free counseling sessions over the phone. After the comp sessions, if you want to continue with counseling or therapy, the Employee Assistance Program will provide referrals of mental health professionals located in your community that specialize in PTSD.

Speaking to a professional (vs. friends/family) can be extremely helpful - this person's only duty to you is to help you understand how to heal and move forward, including how to navigate through the PTSD symptoms.

If you don't have access to an EAP, check with your city if there are any type of support groups or local organizations that can provide assistance in helping victims heal from mental and emotional trauma.

Don't let the jerks who did this have power over you. They've taken too much already. Have courage and allow yourself to heal.