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What is trauma?
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. A traumatic event may be a single event, or a series of repeated event, that completely overwhelm the individual's ability to cope or integrate the thoughts and emotions involved with that experience.
The sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks or years, as the person struggles to cope with the immediate danger. Trauma can be caused by a wide variety of events, but there are a few common aspects. There is frequently an attack upon the person's ideas about the world and of their personal human rights resulting in a state of confusion and insecurity.
Babette Rothschild, in her book The Body Remembers, draws the following conclusion; “It is now thought that people who have been traumatised hold an implicit memory of traumatic events in their brains and bodies. That memory is often expressed in the symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder; nightmares, flashbacks startle responses and dissociative behaviours. In essence, the body of the traumatised person refuses to be ignored.” (The Body Remembers – ISBN 0-393-70327-4)
Trauma events may include violent robbery, rape, beatings, being caught up in a war zone, witness to murder or other serious violence. However, bereavement, abandonment, rejection, neglect, being ignored by significant others, verbal abuse, a broken relationship and the loss of love may result in trauma for many people.
Clinicians recognise at least two main types of trauma and categorise them as Trauma type 1 and Trauma type 2.
Trauma type 1
This kind of trauma usually occurs in adults.
The sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks or years, as the person struggles to cope with the immediate danger. Trauma can be caused by a wide variety of events, but there are a few common aspects. There is frequently an attack upon the person's ideas about the world and of their personal human rights resulting in a state of confusion and insecurity.
Babette Rothschild, in her book The Body Remembers, draws the following conclusion; “It is now thought that people who have been traumatised hold an implicit memory of traumatic events in their brains and bodies. That memory is often expressed in the symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder; nightmares, flashbacks startle responses and dissociative behaviours. In essence, the body of the traumatised person refuses to be ignored.” (The Body Remembers – ISBN 0-393-70327-4)
Trauma events may include violent robbery, rape, beatings, being caught up in a war zone, witness to murder or other serious violence. However, bereavement, abandonment, rejection, neglect, being ignored by significant others, verbal abuse, a broken relationship and the loss of love may result in trauma for many people.
Clinicians recognise at least two main types of trauma and categorise them as Trauma type 1 and Trauma type 2.
Trauma type 1
This kind of trauma usually occurs in adults.
It is an event that occurs at a specific point in time.
It occurs to an individual who previously functioned normally.
The event may be considered as a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
These generally don’t involve a child’s personal and educational development.
Trauma type 2
This type of trauma usually occurs during the formative years.
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The incident tends to be a repetitive, serious event.
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The event occurs during the developmental period … thus interrupting the development.
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A complex PTSD of extreme distress may be evident but difficult to specify.
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This may well interrupt a child’s subsequent development.
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Treatment of Trauma
Over the years many approaches to treating trauma have emerged with mixed results. Since 1979 Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) has evolved to be probably the most researched and effective treatment available.
Dr. Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D. ventured to claim, “I have been amazed at the effectiveness of EMDR. I would no longer know how to treat my patients without having this tool available. It has changed my whole notion about how well we can treat traumatised people.”
I personally have included EMDR as part of an integrated approach to trauma and find that it provides me with a healing tool that has revolutionised my work with trauma clients. This is equally true whether it be clients with Trauma Type 1 (specific life events such as road traffic accidents) or Trauma Type 2 (longer term experiences such as childhood abuse, rejection and neglect).
Contact me now to discuss how I can help. Either call or use this form below to see how we can work together on your trauma therapy.
Contact me now to discuss how I can help. Either call or use this form below to see how we can work together on your trauma therapy.
