What if I told you that there is a malevolent force that hangs over society like a foreboding shadow that we can all see and yet somehow it remains out of reach.
The affects of this force mean that those affected are more likely to suffer with physical illnesses, develop addictions & problems with substance misuse, struggle with depression & other mental illness, and in later life result in premature death. Child sufferers are more likely to be misdiagnosed with psychiatric illnesses and develop behavioural problems, and struggle to form positive relationships.
Research suggests that over 2 thirds of people in Ireland and a third of people in the UK have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. However, there is a huge caveat to mark here: That being that ‘trauma’ means different things to different people. But, the chances are that at some point and maybe ever since, you have had to cope with the effects of trauma on your mental & physical health.
So.. What does Trauma mean to you?
When we think about traumatic stress maybe we think about military personnel returning from active service having witnessed something truly awful which they struggle to process and has a lasting effect on their mental health. This is a reasonable example however it falls way short of the human experience of trauma.
Recorded cases of trauma can be traced back in history from events like the first world war when doctors began diagnosing personnel with shell shock. It took until the 1970’s for psychiatrists to begin recognising traumatic stress in patients as a distinct condition which seemed to be afflicting soldiers returning from the Vietnam War. It’s the history of the development of our understanding of trauma that has lead to this narrow view of trauma being about military personnel.
The problem is that our experience of traumatic events is much wider than our military ventures. It ranges from car accidents, domestic abuse, child abuse & neglect, becoming a victim of crime, losing someone close to us and even witnessing someone else endure a traumatic event. The list is literally endless and the reason for that is that human experience is so personal. What is easily dealt with by one person can be extremely distressing to another & have profound consequences.
Developments in brain scanning technology over the last 30 years or so have improved our understanding of how trauma affects brain function. We now know that trauma can literally rewire the brain, causing some areas to fall into dysfunction or simply go offline when experiencing a trigger.
When children experience trauma, brain development can also be affected, again with profound consequences for them. One common consequence is an impaired ability to perceive danger in an appropriate way. For example, experiencing a smell that we associate with a trauma can trigger an anxious episode or panic attack, as if the trauma were being experienced again. Conversely, sufferers can become blinded to other dangers. For example, we know that sexual abuse in childhood heightens the risk of becoming a victim of abuse or assault again later in life. It is thought that this because our perception of danger can become distorted when we experience trauma, causing the sufferer to unwittingly put themselves in vulnerable situations.
Over the next few posts I’ll break down trauma more & discuss its affects on human development & experience. For those who want to read up on this subject I highly recommend Bessel Van Der Kolk’s The Body Keeps The Score.
Trauma is a human experience that often requires professional help to address. If you’d like to talk about your experience of trauma or that of someone close to you get in touch with BroadMinds Therapy by calling 0899420568, email help@broadmindstherapy.org, visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jpbroad or message us via this website for a free, discrete, private & confidential discussion.
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