What Is Trauma? Trauma is defined as having a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, or having a physical injury. Traumatic stress is the normal reaction to a traumatic event, such as; a natural disaster, a motor vehicle accident, a plane crash, a shooting or a terrorist attack.
These events are not only extraordinarily stressful for the survivors of the attack, but also for witnesses and even those who are repeatedly exposed to the horrifying images and videos of the event which are circulated on social media and news outlets.
Usually, the unsettling thoughts and feelings from the traumatic experience, and the stress that is felt as a result, start to fade as life starts to return to normal in the following days from the event. (Taite,
Trauma comes from the Greek – meaning wound, and meaning damage, harm, or impairment. Trauma affects every body. The traumatized person will experience dissociation, disbelief, isolation, and hopelessness. They will often wonder “Where is God and why has he left me?”
Trauma is an emotional response to distressing events, and it generally results in psychological effects. The mass extermination that occurred during the Armenian Genocide shaped the life of all Armenians during the massacre. In the
Post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) is one of the leading mental issues in the world right now. It includes introduction to injury including passing or the danger of death, genuine damage, or sexual brutality. Something is traumatic when it is exceptionally startling, overpowering and causes a considerable measure of pain. Injury is regularly sudden, and numerous individuals say that they felt feeble to stop or change the occasion. Traumatic occasions might incorporate wrongdoings, common fiascos, mishaps, war or strife, or different dangers to life. It could be an occasion or circumstance that one encounters or something that transpires, including friends and family. The post-traumatic stress is not subject to any definite experience a priori,
According to Merriam-Webster, trauma is defined as a serious injury or wound to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent; a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes a person to have mental or emotional disturbances, usually for an extended period of time. There are many types of trauma that can affect a child’s development, specifically neural development.
It is first important to understand what traumatic stress is, and what traumatic stress can cause. A traumatic stressor is defined as a catastrophic stressor that is outside the normal range of usual human experience (Friedman, A Brief History of the PTSD Diagnosis 2013). Traumatic stressors are very common and sometimes repetitive in warfare due to being involved in or witnessing killing, torture and widespread devastation. In addition to this, the continued threat of death or injury to self or others can be considered traumatic (Pols and Oak 2007).
The Golden hour. In the field this is a term that was created by R Adams Cowley, MD, meaning that if a critical patient receives medical care within an hour, their chance of survival rises substantially. Within that hour a trauma patient will interact with several people, one of them being a Trauma Doctor, which is the career choice that I have chosen for myself. Trauma doctors evaluate, diagnose, stabilize and manage patients who have experienced some type of physical traumatic injury. Trauma doctors are usually trauma surgeons who have specialized critical care surgery training. The Trauma surgeon is a vital part of the golden hour, because within that hour if the patient can receive surgery the likelihood of the patient living heightens. The responsibilities of
* Explain the potential effects these events may have on the survivors and the first responders.
Another trauma of PTSD would be disasters. Disaster and mass violence can lead to injury, death, and psychological distress. Media coverage of these events can also trigger reminders of past events. Even natural disasters like being in a hurricane, tornado or even being in a car accident can trigger PTSD. (Disasters)
Its termed as an emotional aftermath because of major events such as war, rape, kidnapping, abuse or surviving a natural calamity that an individual directly experienced. Traumatic reactions are usually normal but in some instances, it can be severe whereby the individual experiences flashbacks, memory lapse, headaches or nausea (Levers, 2012). Medical professionals term
Traumatic experiences –life threatening situations or abuse may result in long-term stress in many cases it causes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Trauma is easy to understand but it can feel hard to manage. According to the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration, trauma is a situation that “causes physical or emotional harm from which you cannot remove yourself.”
When I decided to take the trauma course, I was hesitant at first to take it. I did not know what to expect nor felt I would be prepare listen to stories about traumatic occurrences, despite of the number of years I have worked in the field of community mental health. Therefore, now that we are in week eight, I am delighted to have taken this course. The impression I had at first, has changed my insight concerning what is trauma, as for many years, I did not understand why a person in many instances, could not process their trauma. In a quote by Chang stated, “The greater the doubt, the greater the awakening; the smaller the doubt, the smaller the awakening. No doubt, no awakening” (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 22). The goes in congruence with my understanding on trauma and how it has changed during this course. As a result, I feel I am awakening when acquiring more about trauma.
First of all, I had to ask what sort of events are defined as traumatising? One definition I found for trauma in general, was that trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience for an individual or a group of people. There are, however, a very wide range of events that can be defined as causing emotional and physiological
The term “Psychological trauma” refers to damage wrought from a traumatic event, which that damages one’s ability to cope with stressors. “Trauma” is commonly defined as an exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to self or others’ physical well-being (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Specific types of client trauma frequently encountered by which therapists and other mental health workers frequently encounter in a clinical setting include sexual abuse, physical , or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, domestic violence, and school or/and work related violence (James & Gilliland, 2001). Traumatic
Others, though, may not be able to cope; their experience may be more haunting or terrifying than others. Each individual expresses situations in different forms; some of us are weaker and unable to control the vivid intrusive memories of the incident. The impression appears at any time, apparently unprovoked, and they interfere with their daily