Trauma
From time to time we may be exposed to deeply traumatic experiences. Trauma can come in many forms - physical and emotional. It is important to note that emotional trauma can be just as devastating as physical trauma.
How one experiences trauma can be very different. Where one can see an event as slightly disturbing another can be deeply traumatised. A traumatic event can be anything from death of a loved one to losing a job or a car accident.
It is important to remember that we can live with a traumatic experience for years without it causing any problems. And suddenly an event will trigger and emotional/mental response to that past trauma. For many different reasons, whether it’s a historic trauma or a current trauma, it might be time to see professional help.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a debilitating psychological condition triggered by a major traumatic event, such as rape, war, a terrorist act, death of a loved one, a natural disaster or a catastrophic accident. It is marked by upsetting memories or thoughts of the ordeal, ‘blunting’ of emotions, increased arousal and sometimes severe personality changes.
Sometimes the traumatic event we have experienced is too much for our minds to accept. But our symptoms disappear when we start to talk about our trauma.
You may find it helpful to speak to your GP or a trained therapist or counsellor if you are suffering through a traumatic experience.
Useful Articles
Here is a list of articles on trauma you might find helpful.
TED Talk: Nadine Burke Harris: Childhood trauma and life long health
Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Paediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for paediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.
Mental illness soars among young women in England – survey
NHS study finds 12.6% of women aged 16-24 screen positive for PTSD, 19.7% self-harm and 28.2% have mental health condition.
Mental illness mostly caused by life events not genetics, argue psychologists
Mental illness is largely caused by social crises such as unemployment or childhood abuse and too much money is spent researching genetic and biological factors, psychologists have warned.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a reaction to exposure to very stressful and traumatising events. People experience flashbacks, panic attacks and other acute symptoms. It can be treated, so it is important to get expert help.
TED Talk: Sebastian Junger: Our lonely society makes it hard to come home from war
Sebastian Junger has seen war up close, and he knows the impact that battlefield trauma has on soldiers. But he suggests there's another major cause of pain for veterans when they come home: the experience of leaving the tribal closeness of the military and returning to an alienating and bitterly divided modern society.
Recommended Reading
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why
In Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales combines hard science and powerful storytelling to illuminate the mysteries of survival, whether in the wilderness or in meeting any of life's great challenges.
Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience
Drawing on cases across a range of life-threatening experiences, Laurence Gonzales makes a compelling argument about fear, courage and the adaptability of the human spirit.
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French 'Elle' and the father of two young children, suffered a massive stroke and found himself paralysed and speechless, but entirely conscious, trapped by what doctors call 'locked-in syndrome'. Using his only functioning muscle - his left eyelid - he began dictating this remarkable story, painstakingly spelling it out letter by letter. His book offers a haunting, harrowing look inside the cruel prison of locked-in syndrome, but it is also a triumph of the human spirit.
Poems and Quotes to Inspire You
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must, because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts given so freely by God to all of us. So when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken.
Andy Ripley – England and Lions rugby legend, often described as one of the most colourful personalities in the history of English rugby
Helpful articles often written by our fabulous practitioners.