What is trauma?
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
― Fred Rogers
Hi all, thank you for taking a moment to check out this blog. I wanted to talk to you about trauma. This is my first blog to introduce the topic and I will be writing more about treatment, symptoms and supporting trauma survivors in future posts.
Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Trauma can also be defined as the response to this type of experience. The trauma response can include feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope, helpless, and a sense of feeling blocked or numb to experiencing the full range of emotions or life experiences.
Experiencing trauma is really common and it is one of my favorite things to help my clients work through. Often these adverse experiences, though occurring in the past, continue to impact our current and future lives. We may feel stuck, overwhelmed, depressed and/or anxious, repeat patterns in relationships and wonder what is holding us back. For many of us, it is trauma.
Trauma can hold us back from experiencing life and thriving in our relationships.
When someone experiences a trauma activation, it may be like walking into an unseen spiderweb draped in a doorway. We may experience physical symptoms like increase heart rate, shortness of breath, tightness in the stomach, and emotional symptoms like anger, fear, or sadness. This response can be immediate and automatic not necessarily make sense in the moment.
One of our first steps is realizing that there may have been exposure to a traumatic experience. We don’t even have to know what it is - although sometimes it’s very clear - but when we have this type of trauma response, it’s likely we experienced some kind of trauma. With this awareness, an individual can seek the support of a professional.
A professional can help you work through your trauma history and address current symptoms.
When looking for a provider, it is important to find someone whom is a good fit. If you do not feel like you can talk to or be honest with your counselor, it will be difficult to be vulnerable and transparent in a way that is necessary for counseling to “work.” Most counselors offer a 30-minute free consultation, which is a great place to meet your potential provider and ask questions. Here’s an article that might be helpful with the process.
OK, back to trauma. Trauma is a common buzz word in health and healing communities these days, but what does this mean for individuals who are survivors of adverse experiences? What types of symptoms are common for trauma survivors?
It’s important that the survivor define their own experience.
Trauma isn’t always straight forward. It can encompass a lot of different types of experiences and responses with varied symptoms. Symptoms might include increased heart rate or a knot in the stomach; they can also include sadness, anxiety, worry, hyper-vigilance, and perseverating on thoughts. I find it really that important that the survivor define their own experience of trauma because each person and experience is incredibly unique.
One thing I also want to mention is that we often hear about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when trauma comes up. This deserves a little time to unpack as well. If you’re curious about whether your current symptoms and experiences meet a diagnosis for PTSD, there are very specific criteria that must be met. You’ll also need to see a qualified mental health practitioner or doctor to be formally diagnosed with PTSD.
