163. What is trauma?

The Codes (6mf)

DEFINITION

A person who

-    is psychologically overwhelmed

-    is unable to physically escape the situation

-    feels their life threatened (even if it is not in real danger)

-    feels helpless, feels the situation is beyond their control

CAUSES OF TRAUMA

-    a situation that a person can’t fight or get out of

-    the loss, or threatened loss, of an important person or object

-    an overwhelming impulse such as an intense urge to commit suicide or homicide

TYPES OF TRAUMA

intentional trauma includes

      abuse, torture, kidnapping, war, neglect, criminal assault, terrorism, riots

unintentional trauma includes

      industrial accident; car, train or plane crashes; nuclear disaster; building collapse; surgical damage to body, loss of body part

natural trauma includes

      tornado, earthquake, flood, avalanche, drought, animal attack, sudden life-threatening illness such as heart attack, severe burns; person’s child suddenly dies

AFTER-EFFECTS OF TRAUMA

Include symptoms of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), depression, anxiety and other disorders.

Person may

-    feel emotionally numb, cut off from feelings and others

-    feel overwhelmed by normal, daily events

-    experience intense emotions

-    cry uncontrollably

-    not be able to relax

-    experience a diminished interest in doing normal things

-    isolate oneself

-    rely on drugs and/or alcohol to get through the day

-    feel very moody, irritable, angry, suspicious, frightened

-    have difficulty with sleep, often recurring nightmares of the event

-    feel guilty for surviving the event if other people did not

-    feel a sense of a doomed or foreshortened future

Also:

-    research suggests that trauma can change the structure of the brain

-    trauma can change how people see the world and themselves; their identity might be greatly affected

SYMPTOMS OF PTSD

The symptoms usually develop within the first 3 months after the trauma but may not develop for months or even years or may even subside then reoccur much later in life.

The 3 main symptoms of PTSD:

1     intrusions – reliving the event through recurring nightmares and/or other intrusive images

2    avoidance – of anything that reminds the person of the event; includes places, people, thoughts or certain activities

3    hyperarousal – always on guard, hypervigilant (overly alert); feel irritable or suddenly angry; difficulty sleeping; lack of concentration;; easily startled

About 70% of adults in U.S. have experienced trauma at least once in their life. Up to 20% of them develop PTSD.