What is Trauma?

                                     

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless and vulnerable in a dangerous world.

Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and alone can be traumatic, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective facts that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more like you are to feel traumatized.

Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by single-blow, one-time events, such as a horrible accident, a natural disaster, or a violent attack. Trauma can also stem from ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood or struggling with cancer.

When will an event turn into a psychological trauma?

  • If the event was unexpected, trauma is more likely to occur.
  • If the trauma is a repeated event (domestic violence, child abuse), trauma is more likely to occur.
  • If you felt helpless or powerless during the event, trauma is more likely to occur.
  • If someone was intentionally, purposefully cruel to you, trauma is more likely to occur.
  • If the traumatic event happens in childhood, trauma is more likely to occur.

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"Everyone has traumatic things happen to them, so why don't we all have trauma symptoms?"

The timing of the trauma, the severity of the trauma, the personality and natural temperment of the person experiencing the trauma, the support system of the traumatized person are all factors in whether or not the person develops trauma symptoms.  

"Why is childhood trauma important to address?"

Experiencing trauma in childhood can have a severe and long-lasting effect. Children who have been traumatized see the world as a frightening and dangerous place. When childhood trauma is not resolved, this fundamental sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma.

Childhood trauma results from anything that disrupts a child’s sense of safety and security, including:

Trauma Symptoms:

Emotional and psychological symptoms of trauma:

  • Shock, denial, or disbelief
  • Anger, irritability, mood swings
  • Guilt, shame, self-blame
  • Feeling sad or hopeless
  • Confusion, difficulty concentrating
  • Anxiety and fear
  • Withdrawing from others
  • Feeling disconnected or numb

Physical symptoms of trauma:

  • Insomnia or nightmares
  • Being startled easily
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Aches and pains
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Edginess and agitation
  • Muscle tension

When to Seek Help for Trauma Symptoms

It is important to remember that your feelings after a traumatic event are normal.  In time, if those feelings persist, you may experience symptoms that are interfering with your feeling of overall wellness.  Seek treatment if your symptoms do not resolve in a reasonable amount of time or in case of the following symptoms:

  • Trouble functioning at home or work
  • Suffering from severe  or mild fear, anxiety, or depression
  • Unable to form close, satisfying relationships
  • Experience frightening memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
  • Avoiding people, place or situations that remind you of the trauma
  • Emotionally numb and disconnected from others
  • Using alcohol or drugs to feel better

Trauma Symptoms in Children

  • Regression
  • Blaming themselves for the event, which may lead to significant behavioral changes
  • Sleeping Issues
  • Feeling helpless