Trauma
Trauma refers to the emotional and psychological response to an event or series of events that are overwhelming, distressing, or harmful. It is not just limited to large, life-threatening incidents like accidents, abuse, or natural disasters. It can also result from other significant events such as emotional neglect, chronic stress, or even witnessing something distressing.
Trauma can leave an enduring mark on a person's psychological well-being. Low self-worth, feelings of powerlessness, feeling physically unsafe or emotionally unsafe, are common legacies. Some common difficulties experienced with trauma include:
Emotional: Anxiety, depression, anger, fear, sadness, shame, or numbness.
Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts or flashbacks, memory problems.
Physical: Fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, or a heightened startle response.
Behavioral: Avoidance of places or situations that remind the person of the trauma, substance use, or self-harm.
Trauma affects not only how a person feels but also how they view the world, their relationships, and their ability to trust or feel safe.
Types of Trauma
How trauma effects a person can depend on the nature, duration, and context of the trauma.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD is typically associated with experiencing or witnessing a dangerous and/or threatening event. It is characterized by symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, negative mood, and heightened arousal (e.g., anxiety or hypervigilance).
Complex PTSD: CPTSD is a more severe form of PTSD that results from prologed or repeated exposure to trauma, often over months or years. In addition to the symptoms of PTSD, individuals may also experience interpersonal difficulties, disrupted self identity (e.g. feeling broken or unworthy), difficulties with self regulation, and dissociation. Treatment often requires long-term trauma focused therapy.
Attachment trauma: Attachment trauma refers to the disruptions in the emotional bonds and misatunements between a child and their primary caregivers. This trauma arises from inconsistent caregiving, or where a child’s needs for safety, security, or nurturance have not been adequately met. Difficulties experienced with attachment trauma may include;
- Difficulty forming healthy relationships (e.g. fear of intimacy, difficulty trusting others, or becoming overly dependent on others)
- Emotional dysregulation (e.g. extreme emotional highs and lows, difficulty managing stress or emotional reactions)
- Fear of abandonment or rejection (e.g. intense anxiety about being abandoned by loved ones)
- Negative self-concept (e.g. feelings of being unworthy of love or care, feeling "damaged")
- Behavioral issues (e.g. acting out in relationships, pushing others away to avoid vulnerability)
Dissociation: Dissociation refers to a psychological phenomenon where a person feels disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity.
Dissociation is an adaptive coping mechanism that helps us survive overwhelming or threatening experiences by detaching from emotional or physical pain. Dissociative experiences include intrusive thoughts and feelings, trance, identity confusion, feeling detached from ones body or surroundings, reduced awareness, amnesia, flashbacks, and loss of control.
What is trauma- focused treatment? Trauma-focused treatment refers to therapeutic approaches specifically designed to meet the unique needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. They help individuals understand their experience, how it impacts them, and heal from the psychological and emotional impact.
The initial phase of trauma-focused therapy involves ensuring that an individual feels safe, both physically and emotionally. Clients may also learn grounding techniques and coping skills to help manage overwhelming emotions and stress.
Trauma processing helps to reduce the distressing emotions tied to that memory and helps the individual make new meaning from the trauma they have experienced. This may result in increased feelings of physical and emotional safety in the present, increased choice and self efficacy, and increased self worth.
