Exploring Trauma
Week One: Purple Elephant Trauma Series
This article is a summary of the posts that have been shared on Facebook this week. The impact of trauma is felt by those who sit on both sides of the political aisles. It is neither red nor blue—thus, a purple elephant. More important than any election result is that we care well for one another and also the most effective way to do that is to learn about the impact of trauma. Trauma is the purple elephant in every conversation I read. We need to be better informed! When we know better, it is then possible to do better. It is time to begin class!
Note: What I will be offering in these posts is only a glimpse of the depth of knowledge you can access in ATN’s Trauma-Informed Certification!
Day One: What is Trauma?
Question: After reading the information does it seem possible that you have experienced trauma in ways you have not considered?
When you think of the word trauma, what do you consider? How would you define the word? I am asked to define trauma in every podcast or interview. As I learned more, my explanations improved. By my third book (A Brave Life), I had settled on the following definition:
“Trauma,” as defined in the DSM-5* requires “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” In this book, the use of the word “trauma” (acknowledging trauma as inherently subjective) broadens this definition to include any situation which causes an individual to feel threatened physically or emotionally, feel powerless, and/or overwhelms the capacity to cope (resulting in lasting adverse effects on wellbeing and ability to function). This expansion is essential when considering how an adult’s adverse experiences during childhood increase the likelihood of registering events later in life as traumatic.
By the time I got to book #4, I had much more to say. The following information is from Trauma in the Pews (Pgs. 2-3) expanded on the framework:
Trauma is often more about how an event is processed than the event itself. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) defines trauma as requiring a sense of “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” This definition fails to encompass all aspects of trauma. It also fails to address the effects of chronic stress and physical or emotional neglect that most do not recognize as having many of the same debilitating effects as traumatic events. In cases of domestic violence, verbal abuse is equally as damaging as physical abuse. Emotional and physical pain “light up” the same part of the brain. The body cannot distinguish the difference—studies show that ibuprofen works to soothe both physical and emotional pain.
When considering the effects of trauma, it is helpful to think of a traumatic event as anything that causes an individual to feel threatened emotionally or physically, feel powerless, and/or affect their capacity to cope while overwhelmed. The age of an individual at the time of the trauma is also an important factor in their ability to cope.
In experience, traumatic events can vary greatly and can include things like car accidents, natural disasters, and physical or verbal abuse. Anytime trauma occurs within relationships, the long-term effects involve damage to one’s ability to trust and create negative internalized messages—such as being unlovable. Trauma includes physical and emotional pain as well as neglect. Traumatic experiences in childhood increase the likelihood of registering events later in life as a trauma—the internalization of the experience.
American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM V, 5th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
SAGE, Can over-the-counter pain meds influence thoughts and emotions? ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180206090700. htm (accessed March 4, 2022).
Day 2: What are the 3 Types and 3 E’s of Trauma?
Question: How can understanding the types and parts of trauma allow us to better understand the impact of trauma on ourselves and others?
All trauma is not the same! It can vary in type, intensity, degree to which it repeats, and age at which it occurs. The following categories include three types of trauma: (see more information).
Acute trauma results from a single event.
Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged, such as domestic violence or abuse.
Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.
Most often we think of trauma as an event. My explanation also included the experience of the event and the long-term effects. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) developed a simple framework that identified all three parts of trauma in a way that is easy to remember: (Read this summary)
Events
Experience of Events
Effects of the Events
Day 3: What Qualifies as a Traumatic Event?
Question: Can you think of a time when you were overcome by an event to the point that you found it difficult to function? Did you consider that a traumatic event?
Yesterday we discussed that trauma results from an event or events in which an adult or child feels unsafe, their nervous system becomes overwhelmed, and there is a sense of powerlessness. It is important to remember that the experience of trauma is subjective.
All traumatic events do not result in trauma. What will be traumatic to one person will not be for another. This most often has to do with the age at which the traumatic event occurs, previous experiences, the role that nurturing or non-nurturing adults played in the life of a developing child, and the support during and after the event.
Even two children in the same family will experience the event differently. What events have the potential to cause trauma? The following list was compiled for a workshop several years ago. Note that trauma can also be caused by neglect. It can also occur in situations that do not involve abuse. As an update, I would add pandemics to this list!
This article provides an overview of 12 Very Common Examples of Trauma
Day 4: How Does a Traumatic Event Impact Us?
Question for the Day: When you struggle with the memory of a difficult event, where do you feel that struggle--in your body or your head? (Also, consider how easily overwhelmed and frightened children--or baby elephants--can be. This is the root of most struggles.)
Today we will reflect on what happens inside our bodies when a traumatic event occurs. Probably, the most important understanding of my healing journey was that I was terrified not by the memory of the event itself (which was horrific) but by the experience of the event and how it affected my body. The following explains what happens. It is one thing to be frightened, it is quite another when your body believes your life is being threatened.
Our bodies and brains were created for survival. When a car is speeding toward us, considering our options is too time consuming—we need to react and react quickly. In the center of our brain, in the limbic brain, the amygdala is always on guard for danger. We have all felt the rush of adrenaline when we perceive danger. The amygdala signals “Danger!” to a part of our brain in the more primal area located in the brain stem, and we will autonomically respond with a fight, flight, or freeze response. “Fawn response” is also being recognized by some as a behavior that enables us to try to “make friends” with the danger.
When this reaction occurs, the amygdala also shuts down the prefrontal cortex—the thinking part of the brain. This is especially important to understand when children or adults react to a perceived threat. Asking them what they were thinking is useless. They weren’t thinking; they were reacting. We see this every day on the news or in our schools. Why would people resist arrest? What were they thinking? They weren’t. Why do children run out of the school building and into the street? What were they thinking? They weren’t. Trauma in the Pews (pgs. 17-18)
What happens in our body is the effect of the experience of the event. When it is not resolved, the memory of the experience of the event will feel the same for ten, twenty, thirty years, or a lifetime. Dealing with that effect has all sorts of consequences. We will begin there in Week Two.
Week One Reflection Questions:
Have you considered trauma as being more than an event? Did this information expand your thinking? Do you know or feel you might have been impacted by trauma?
Additional Resources:
Why aren’t there 5 days? Because I skipped Veteran’s Day but did post a trauma-informed honor to the service of our veterans in the RockWall Cottage Chronicle
This website provides a great overview of this week’s topics! What is Trauma?
Next week we will look more deeply at ACEs and the importance of Positive Childhood Experiences.
Thank you. Lots of helpful bits to reflect upon. I liked the childhood checklist of possible traumatic events- I haven’t seen a list like that before with so many subtle possibilities listed.