Trauma: An Over or Under-Used label?

Trauma. Isn’t this the word on everyone’s lips? It’s been so used – overused– that it’s hard to pin down what it means. No, trauma isn’t hearing someone else mention a car accident. It probably isn’t someone giving you feedback on your work performance. So what is it? And why is everyone seemingly talking about it?

The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van der Kolk, MD, is probably the best known book on the subject. Van der Kolk, psychiatrist and founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, states trauma is“an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms people's existing coping mechanisms.”

Any event or experience, whether singular or repetitive, that leaves lasting emotional, physical, mental, and/or relational impact can be considered traumatic.

There are two “types” of traumatic events: “Big T” and “little t” traumas. “Big T” traumas are near-death experiences or catastrophes of life: a house fire, a grave injury, an assault. Often, these experiences give us a sense of being trapped or having no control.

“Little t” traumas are the painful events that leave an inner scar on us, and we adapt to make sure that pain doesn’t happen again — like a breakup, giving a presentation unprepared, a health scare, even significant emotional invalidation. Yet, “little t” or “Big T” traumas that occur repeatedly can lead to what has been termed “complex trauma.”

You may think, “You experience a bad event, you have trauma.” However, the event itself can be less important than the impact on the person — and how their nervous system makes meaning of it. The way a person thinks and acts can be the best way to assess whether an event was traumatic.

After trauma, you may feel the need to constantly check over your shoulder. You may avoid anything that reminds you of the event. It may be difficult to let yourself rest because nothing feels quite safe.

If you consider yourself to be pretty high functioning before the trauma, it can feel like you are going “crazy" and that you should just be able to get over it. Your support system may think so, too. If only it were that simple!

A post-traumatic stress reaction is completely involuntary. PTSD makes your nervous system — which scans for threats to keep you safe — hyperaware. It can even begin to “over function.” If it over-functions, your body scans for threats constantly and tells your brain that there is a threat to your life even when there is none.

What actually helps? Most importantly, someone with PTSD needs a support system who doesn’t judge their experience or emotions. Then, we recommend education about PTSD, increasing one’s sense of safety and mastery in their life, and acceptance and processing through traumatic memories and your emotions from them with support.

If you are beginning to recognize that trauma may be part of your story, stay tuned for more about how we at East Atlanta Counseling can help you move towards healing — helping you to FEEL safe when you ARE safe.

Book a session with one of our trauma-focused therapists today (trained in EMDR, IFS, Somatic Experiencing).