Any event that involves experiencing or witnessing actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence has the potential to be traumatic. Almost everyone who experiences trauma will be emotionally affected, and there are many different ways in which people will respond. Most people will recover quite quickly with the help of family and friends. For some, the effects can be long lasting.
Traumatic experiences may include:
- being in a serious accident
- being physically assaulted
- being involved in a war – either as a civilian or as part of military operations
- being involved in a natural disaster, such as a wild fire, flood or cyclone
- being sexually assaulted or abused
Traumatic events include things that happen to you directly, or to someone you are close to. An event can be traumatic if you witnessed it happening to someone else, or if you were involved in the course of your work. For example:
- If you were the first on the scene of a serious accident, or after a natural disaster
- If you learned that a friend or family member was involved in a life threatening event, was seriously injured, or died suddenly and unexpectedly
Traumatic events are emotionally distressing. While most people will recover on their own, for some the experience can lead to mental health issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety or substance use.
Traumatic events are overwhelming
When something traumatic happens, it is often overwhelming, and it can be hard to come to terms with what has happened. The experience is likely to be very different from anything you have gone through before. It can mean you question things that you have always thought were true. For example, you might no longer believe that the world is a safe place, that people are generally good, or that you are in control of what happens to you. When people talk about their world being turned upside down after a traumatic event, it might mean these big picture beliefs have been shattered.
The above is what would be called “big T” traumas; however there are what are called “little t” traumas as well, they are life events that are more common experiences and are upsetting, but on the surface are not thought of as traumatizing. The term “little t” trauma does not imply, however, that the emotional impact of such an event is insignificant compared to “big T” traumas. To the person experiencing it, no “little t” trauma feels little. The emotional wounds can be as long lasting as those from “big T” trauma.
It is reasonable to say that everyone has experienced “little t” traumas during their life, things like being teased in school, divorce, death of a pet, losing a job, changing schools, etc.
These traumas have an influence on how a person can view the world and shape how one can cope in life. For example the “little t” trauma of being teased by peers and being picked last for a team can leave one with a low self-esteem and the belief that the person is not good enough – despite the fact that you may see no connection between the two. Fortunately, “little t” traumas are as treatable as the “big T” traumas.
Resources:
www.emdria.org