What is Trauma?
The word “trauma” is being thrown around a lot lately but what is it really? This blog gets into this and more.
Disclaimer: Blogs are a great place to get helpful information but they should never replace mental healthcare and this blog is no exception. These blog posts do not replace mental health care and are not medical advice.
According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is an emotional response to a horrible occurrence. It can happen once (like being in a natural disaster), multiple times (such as getting into a car accident a few years ago and then again today, or for an extended period of time (like child sexual abuse by family member or being trafficked). Trauma is an extremely impactful experience that can cause physiological changes in the brain and the way our neurons communicate with each other in different situations.
For example, I’ve seen many children who run away from day treatment or school when there is something in the school that “triggers” a trauma response. When this happens typically the child is afraid and it is like the trauma is happening or is about to happen all over again. This is why they run away.
Many of these children get in trouble at school and at home because teachers and parents do not understand the behavior and think the child is just being “bad.” It’s still not safe for the child to run away but understanding the context is helpful to caregivers and teachers. If you get a counselor to start working with yourself and the other adults in the child’s life you will come up with safer ways to help the child cope when they come across something that reminds them of the trauma.
Similar things happen to adults, I’ve worked with adults who have quit their jobs because of trauma “triggers” in the environment. It’s the adult form of running away.
You may also be experiencing a “fight” response where you get angry for seemingly no reason but in reality you are experiencing a trauma response. Children may literally fight when they are experiencing trauma. They may fight their peers or their teachers. Children as young as toddler age get expelled from daycare because of this.
Trauma impacts parts of the brain responsible for emotion, memory, and planning. So you may see or experience impulsivity, difficulty planning or concentrating, different ranges of emotions that you don’t understand, sleep issues, flashbacks, sensory issues (such as feeling the same sensations on your body as you did during the event), etc.
What to do
Seek out a mental health professional who specializes in trauma. Trauma should not be treated in the same way as general therapy so finding someone who specializes in trauma is vital. Trauma is my specialty at Distress Counseling and Consulting. Feel free to reach out to me for a free consultation.