Trauma looks different for each person who suffers from it. It may not always come from what we commonly think of as a horrific event. Someone could be traumatized from witnessing a crime, but also from abuse at the hands of their parents, or even being picked on through their school years. You also might respond to these events in ways that you or others might see as disproportionate.
The important thing is not to invalidate or dismiss your own traumatic experiences, and to understand different forms that trauma might take. Let’s discuss the different types of trauma in this blog, as well as how you can receive support.
Acute Trauma
Acute trauma is trauma that occurs as the result of a singular incident. For instance, someone may suffer acute trauma after a sexual assault, after being witness to or the victim of a violent crime, after a car accident, or after the death of a loved one. Acute trauma feels overwhelming and your mind may attempt to avoid it or avoid things that make you think of your trauma. When untreated, acute trauma can develop into complex trauma.
Complex Trauma
Chronic Trauma
Chronic trauma occurs when someone is exposed to repeated, prolonged traumatic events. Abuse within the family or bullying can be examples of chronic trauma. Often, individuals with chronic trauma may not realize the ways that they are traumatized. For them, the way they live is “normal.” It can be difficult to adjust to healthy relationships or circumstances even when removed from those situations.
Generational Trauma
Generational trauma is trauma that can be passed down through families. It has both a biological component as well as a behavioral component2. Generational trauma typically begins with traumatic events that happen to a group of people — such as racism or discrimination, pogroms, or war. This trauma can be passed from parent to child years after the worst of the event, causing aftershocks.
Expectant mothers experiencing traumatic stress may expose the fetus they carry to certain chemicals that impact the child’s brain chemistry. There is also the behavioral component. Children learn behavior from their parents. When the older generation behaves in a way that is informed by their trauma, their children can quickly pick this up.
Common Causes of Trauma
Trauma is an incredibly individual experience. It manifests in different ways for different people, especially when you consider the common types of trauma. Even if you have never experienced any of the traumatic events listed here, if you feel that you are suffering from symptoms of trauma, it never hurts to seek help. That said, some of the common causes of trauma include:
- War or conflict
- Natural disasters
- Abuse or neglect
- Domestic violence
- Medical emergency
- Community violence
- Grief or loss
- Severe accidents
- School violence, including bullying
- Serious health conditions
- Miscarriages or loss of a child
- Being the victim of a crime such as kidnapping
Understanding PTSD
Not everyone who experiences trauma faces post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is common after experiencing trauma. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, 6% of adults experience PTSD at some point in their life3. The National Health Services in the United Kingdom also posits that 1 in 3 people who experience trauma develops PTSD4. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include:
- Recurring memories of the traumatic event
- Flashbacks – reliving or re-experiencing your trauma
- Upsetting dreams or nightmares
- Severe emotional distress when reminded of the traumatic event
- Making an effort to avoid memories or discussion of the traumatic event or avoiding places that remind you of the event
- Negative self-esteem
- Feelings of hopelessness or depression
- Poor memory
- Difficulty maintaining relationships
- Feeling detached or numb
How To Treat Trauma and PTSD
If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional. This may also be a good idea shortly after experiencing a traumatic event, while you’re still wrestling with acute trauma. Through therapy, medication, or a combination of both, you can learn coping skills to manage your distress and reduce the ways that your trauma may disrupt your life.
Therapy
Therapy treats trauma either by helping you to process the trauma or by gentle prolonged exposure to the memories of the trauma and experiences that remind you of the trauma. In some forms of trauma therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you may talk through the traumatic event and work to reframe your mindset. In others, such as prolonged exposure therapy (PE), you may have to repeatedly listen to a recording of yourself recounting the trauma until you are able to do so without feeling intense distress.
Common therapies for trauma include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
Medication
There are two FDA approved medications for PTSD: sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil). Both are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) commonly used to treat depression and anxiety. These can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety that come with PTSD, as well as depressive episodes that may accompany feelings of hopelessness or emotional numbness.
Rivia Mind works with a number of skilled and compassionate mental health professionals trained to treat trauma and PTSD. Let us help you on your journey to mental wellness. Contact Rivia Mind today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.
References:
- Complex Trauma – The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Generational Trauma: Definition, Symptoms, Treatment – Health.com
- How Common is PTSD In Adults – PTSD: National Center for PTSD
- Causes – Post-traumatic stress disorder – NHS
