What is Trauma? A psychological trauma is a severely distressing event that causes psychological, emotional or behavioral hardships in a person’s life. Trauma is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds a person’s ability to cope with his/her daily life. A traumatic event involves an experience, or repeating events of being overwhelmed, that can continue to occur as the person struggles to cope with the immediate circumstances, eventually leading to serious, long-term negative psychological consequences. Trauma differs between individuals, according to their subjective experiences.
Some common examples of trauma include
- Abuse (Emotional, Physical, Sexual)
- Neglect
- Exposure to domestic violence
- Severe accident or injury
- Sudden death of a loved one
- Witnessing death or injury of a loved one
Some common symptoms of trauma include
- Unwanted upsetting memories
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Interrupting thoughts
- Inability to recall key features of the traumatic event
- Overly negative thoughts about self and the world
- Exaggerated blame on self or others
- Negative affect
- Decreased interest in activities
- Feeling isolated
- Difficult experiencing positive affect
- Irritability or aggression
- Risky or destructive behavior
- Hypervigilance
- Heightened startle reaction
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping