What is Trauma?

What Is Trauma?

From the Greek word for “wound,” trauma is an emotional or physical response to intensely upsetting, or life-threatening events. Experiences of physical, sexual, emotional abuse, accidents, or natural disasters can cause a trauma or psychological wound that needs specialized healing. Types of Specialized healing offered at Mindful Essence Therapeutic Services are EMDR and Trauma-Focused CBT.

(For questions about EMDR and TF-CBT please contact a therapist at Mindful Essence)

Until a trauma is healed, individuals can experience psychological and physical distress that interferes with their ability to function successfully in their personal and privates lives.

Types of Trauma:

Acute Trauma: Is caused by a single, isolated, clearly identified distressing event that took place at a specific time and place, such as a car accident, sudden death of a loved one, or a natural disaster.

Chronic Trauma: Results from ongoing, prolonged exposure to stressful situations, such as repeated domestic violence incidents, grooming and child abuse, or bullying in the school setting.

Complex Trauma: Stems from experiences of both acute and chronic trauma or multiple traumatic events such as a combination of death, accidents, abuse and disaster impacting one person.

Physical Trauma: Serious physical injury that causes a lasting negative impact on health.

Ways to Experience Trauma:

Direct Exposure: Directly experiencing a traumatic event.

Indirect Exposure: Witnessing a traumatic event or experience. 

Learning of Violent Events: Often times hearing about an accident or violent event involving a friend or family member can be traumatic.

Common Synonyms of Experiencing Trauma:

Psychological: Emotional shock and emotional numbness are commonly experienced by those who have trauma. Also, flashbacks, nightmares, fear, avoidance of triggers, and disabling anxiety are regularly experienced after experiences of trauma and these symptoms have no timeline for how long they can last after the trauma has occurred.

Physical: A person who has experienced trauma may have somatic symptoms such as pain in the body even if the trauma experienced was not physical.

Long-term Effects: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is a diagnosis given to individuals who have lasting and pervasive symptoms of trauma. 

If you are concerned that you may have PTSD, please feel free to reach out and schedule a session with a therapist at Mindful Essence.

Does Having Experienced Trauma Automatically Mean I Have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Experiencing a traumatic event/s does not automatically mean a person has a mental disorder or that they will struggle with symptoms of PTSD. Every individual will respond to trauma differently, and there are protective factors that contribute to a person being resilient to trauma. Maintaining your mental health and having emotional support from a therapist whether you have PTSD or not is a great way to stay resilient to mental illnesses. 

Interested in learning more about trauma? Reach out via our Contact Page. 

Choose Mindful Essence as your safe place for trauma recovery.