Trauma
What is Trauma?
Psychological trauma is caused by directly or indirectly experiencing an overwhelmingly stressful event. This causes a mental and physical reaction, outside of our control, which overwhelms our system.
If you're neurodivergent, experiences can feel more overwhelming and the aftereffects of trauma can be even more impactful.
"Being traumatized means continuing to organize your life as if the trauma were still going on- unchanged and immutable- as every new encounter or event is contaminated by the past."
Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
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Symptoms of Trauma
Guilt
Nightmares
Feeling numb
Memory issues
Shame
Reliving events
Feeling disconnected
Distressing thoughts
Depression
Anxiety
Feeling jumpy
Negative Outlook
Addiction
Avoidance
Irritable / Angry
Relationship problems
Types of Traumatic Events
Car accident
Emotional abuse
Combat
Sudden death
Natural disaster
Bullying
Witnessing violence
Serious illness
Sexual assault
Financial insecurity
Generational trauma
Serious injury
Divorce
Homelessness
Racism
Absent parent
Death
Infidelity
Medical procedures
Addicted caregiver
Physical assault
Constant relocating
Infertility
Childhood neglect
Therapy for Trauma
There are many types of treatment that help heal trauma. It's my understanding that trauma lives in the body and within our internal world. We develop wounds that hide within us and get triggered when something comes too close to it. Here you'll find a list of therapy approaches that are highly recommended for treating trauma. This is not an exhaustive list and healing can be found in many forms of treatment and through many outlets.
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