Trauma Types, Causes, Effects, and Healing Strategies.

Trauma is an emotional and/or physical response caused by distressing events outside the normal range of human experience. It can take many forms, with most people experiencing a form of trauma at some point in their lives. Trauma types can be classified as:

• Acute – response to an event like accidents, assaults, war
• Complex – prolonged and repeated events such as domestic violence, child neglect, civil unrest
• Secondary/vicarious – witnessing other people’s traumas
• Generational – passed down from one generation to the next

Although people experience trauma differently, most individuals would agree that war, natural and human disasters, violence, abuse, car accidents, divorce, bullying, losing a job, unresolved relationship conflicts, and financial and legal trouble can all be considered traumatic events. A person can experience multiple traumas from the same or different sources. Trauma affects people differently, and it affects our overall physical, emotional, and psychological health and wellbeing.

In much the same way that physical trauma can affect our emotional and psychological health, emotional trauma can affect our physical wellbeing. Trauma can be associated with anxiety, depression, suicide, addictions, eating disorders, dissociative disorders, anger, and cognitive and behavioral struggles. Children who experience or witness traumatic events are at-risk of adverse health and developmental consequences.

According to the research, 70% of the world population has been exposed to a traumatic event, with the resulting mental health consequences being a public health concern. Further to this claim, young people today report more stress, anxiety, and loneliness than in the past. In fact, the World Health Organization notes that three of the top five leading causes of death for young people aged 5-29 are: traffic injuries, homicide, and suicide.

We know from social psychological research that even those who witness or participate in traumatic events can be scarred. Moreover, children who view violent programming or see violence will model the violent behavior being shown. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory posits that people learn from observing and imitating others; if they see violent actions, then they repeat it. Hence, we need to pay careful attention to how our trauma was formed so that we can heal from it. Unresolved trauma can be passed down through the generations, and it is incumbent on us to find strategies to heal unresolved traumas for ourselves and for generations to come.

If you find that your current, everyday functioning is affected by trauma, please seek out one of our qualified clinicians at Nafsology Psychology Center.