Table of Contents
Why does everyone use the word trauma?
When we describe misfortune, sadness or even pain as trauma, we redefine our experience. Using the word “trauma” turns every event into a catastrophe, leaving us helpless, broken and unable to move on. Like democracy, alarm clocks and the Olympics, we owe “trauma” to the ancient Greeks.
Is the word trauma overused?
However, I frequently hear from people that they’ve experienced multiple traumas or even just one thing specifically that was very “traumatic.” Similar to calling someone Bipolar or OCD, it appears the term trauma is becoming grossly overused to describe an experience that is better accounted for as something that is …
How do people act when they are traumatized?
Initial reactions to trauma can include exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, physical arousal, and blunted affect. Most responses are normal in that they affect most survivors and are socially acceptable, psychologically effective, and self-limited.
How bad does it have to be to be trauma?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), trauma is “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” However, a person may experience trauma as a response to any event they find physically or emotionally threatening or harmful.
Does everyone have trauma?
70\% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. That’s 223.4 million people. More than 33\% of youths exposed to community violence will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a very severe reaction to traumatic events.
Why do you laugh after crying?
Laughing releases endorphins, those feel good hormones. Crying usually causes the release of endorphins too, which may help to ease physical or emotional pain.
How can you tell if someone is traumatized?
Symptoms of psychological trauma
- Shock, denial, or disbelief.
- Confusion, difficulty concentrating.
- Anger, irritability, mood swings.
- Anxiety and fear.
- Guilt, shame, self-blame.
- Withdrawing from others.
- Feeling sad or hopeless.
- Feeling disconnected or numb.
Why do I avoid things that remind me of my trauma?
Sometimes we avoid people, places, or things related to our trauma because they trigger the painful memory. For example, we might avoid TV shows that remind us of the event. Other times we might avoid things because they feel dangerous, like a section of the city where we were assaulted.
What does it mean to be traumatized by trauma?
To be traumatized means that individuals have some emotional or behavioral problems as a result of the traumas. The patient at the beginning of my story believed in her mind that she was traumatized, but actually she was resilient.
How does trauma affect one’s beliefs about the future?
Foreshortened future: Trauma can affect one’s beliefs about the future via loss of hope, limited expectations about life, fear that life will end abruptly or early, or anticipation that normal life events won’t occur (e.g., access to education, ability to have a significant and committed relationship,…
What is emotional trauma and why is it so common?
Emotional trauma is the common thread that keeps clients stuck. Most people understand the general concept of trauma but don’t necessarily know the scope of it or the depths and impact it has on a person’s psyche in particular with emotional trauma.