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a-z mental
health :
trauma
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Trauma. The word brings to mind the effects of such major
events as war, rape, kidnapping, abuse, or surviving a natural
disaster. The emotional aftermath of such events, recognized
by the medical and psychological communities, and increasingly
by the general public, is known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD). Now there is a new field of investigation that is
less familiar, even to professionals: emotional or psychological
trauma |
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What
is emotional or psychological trauma? |
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The ability to recognize
emotional trauma has changed radically over the course of history.
Until rather recently psychological trauma was noted only in
men after catastrophic wars. The women's movement in the sixties
broadened the definition of emotional trauma to include physically
and sexually abused women and children. Now because of the discoveries
made in the nineties, known as the decade of the brain, psychological
trauma has further broadened its definition. |
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Regardless
of its source, an emotional trauma contains three common elements: |
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• it was unexpected
• the person was unprepared
• there was
nothing the person could do to prevent it from happening
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It is not the event
that determines whether something is traumatic to someone, but
the individual's experience of the event. And it is not predictable
how a given person will react to a particular event. For someone
who is used to being in control of emotions and events, it may
be surprising – even embarrassing – to discover
that something like an accident or job loss can be so debilitating.
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What
causes emotional or psychological trauma? |
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Our brains
are structured into three main parts, long observed in autopsies: |
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• the cortex
(the outer surface, where higher thinking skills arise; includes
the frontal cortex, the most recently evolved portion of the
brain)
• the limbic system (the center of the brain,
where emotions evolve)
• the brain stem (the reptilian
brain that controls basic survival functions)
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Because of the development
of brain scan technology, scientists can now observe the brain
in action, without waiting for an autopsy. These scans reveal
that trauma actually changes the structure and function of the
brain, at the point where the frontal cortex, the emotional
brain and the survival brain converge. A significant finding
is that brain scans of people with relationship or developmental
problems, learning problems, and social problems related to
emotional intelligence reveal similar structural and functional
irregularities to those resulting from PTSD. |
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What
is the difference between stress and emotional or psychological
trauma? |
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One way to tell the
difference between stress and emotional trauma is by looking
at the outcome—how much residual effect an upsetting event
is having on our lives, relationships, and overall functioning.
Traumatic distress can be distinguished from routine stress
by assessing the following: |
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how quickly
upset is triggered |
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how frequently upset is
triggered |
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how intensely threatening
the source of upset is |
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how long upset lasts |
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how long it takes to calm
down |
If we can communicate our distress to people who care about
us and can respond adequately, and if we return to a state
of equilibrium following a stressful event, we are in the
realm of stress. If we become frozen in a state of active
emotional intensity, we are experiencing an emotional trauma—even
though sometimes we may not be consciously aware of the level
of distress we are experiencing. |
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Why
can an event cause an emotionally traumatic response in one
person and not in another? |
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There is no clear answer
to this question, but it is likely that one or more of these
factors are involved: |
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• the severity
of the event
• the individual's personal history
(which may not even be recalled)
• the larger meaning
the event represents for the individual (which may not be immediately
evident)
• coping skills, values and beliefs held
by the individual (some of which may have never been identified)
• the reactions and support from family, friends,
and/or professionals
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Anyone can become traumatized.
Even professionals who work with trauma, or other people close
to a traumatized person, can develop symptoms of "vicarious"
or "secondary" traumatization. Developing symptoms
is never a sign of weakness. Symptoms should be taken seriously
and steps should be taken to heal, just as one would take action
to heal from a physical ailment. And just as with a physical
condition, the amount of time or assistance needed to recover
from emotional trauma will vary from one person to another. |
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What
are the symptoms of emotional trauma? |
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There are common effects
or conditions that may occur following a traumatic event. Sometimes
these responses can be delayed, for months or even years after
the event. Often people do not initially associate their symptoms
with the precipitating trauma. The following are symptoms that
may result from a more commonplace, unresolved trauma, especially
if there were earlier, overwhelming life experiences: |
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Symptoms of
Emotional Trauma |
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Symptom
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Characteristics |
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Physical |
Eating
disturbances (more or less than usual)
Sleep disturbances (more or less than usual)
Sexual dysfunction
Low energy
Chronic, unexplained pain
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| Emotional |
Depression,
spontaneous crying, despair and hopelessness
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Fearfulness
Compulsive and obsessive behaviors
Feeling out of control
Irritability, angry and resentment
Emotional numbness
Withdrawal from normal routine and relationships |
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Cognitive |
Memory
lapses, especially about the trauma
Difficulty making decisions
Decreased ability to concentrate
Feeling distracted
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The following additional
symptoms of emotional trauma are commonly associated with a
severe precipitating
event, such as a natural disaster, exposure to war, rape, assault,
violent crime, major car or airplane crashes, or
child abuse. Extreme symptoms can also occur as a delayed reaction
to the traumatic event.
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Additional
Symptoms Associated with a Severe Precipitating Event |
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Symptom |
Characteristics |
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Re-experiencing
the trauma |
intrusive
thoughts
flashbacks or nightmares
sudden floods of emotions or images related to the traumatic
event
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Emotional
numbing and avoidance |
amnesia
avoidance of situations that resemble the initial event
detachment
depression
guilt feelings
grief reactions
an altered sense of time
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Increased
arousal |
hyper-vigilance,
jumpiness, an extreme sense of being "on guard"
overreactions, including sudden unprovoked anger
general anxiety
insomnia
obsessions with death
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