What is Trauma?

There are many definitions of trauma, depending on who you ask and where you search for the answer. Friends may casually refer to trauma when describing inconvenient situations such as sitting traffic or dealing with a sales clerk. Clinically speaking, trauma is often thought to be a life-threatening event, such as war, a natural disaster, or assault. Other definitions of trauma may also include events that were harmful to a person’s core sense of self, such as car accidents, bullying, medical trauma, parentification, generational trauma, domestic violence, and childhoodabuse. I prefer Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s definition of trauma which is any event that overwhelms the body’s central nervous system and ability to cope.

Types of Trauma

There are different types of trauma such as acute, chronic, complex, and vicarious trauma.

Acute trauma is a single traumatic incident that was short in duration, such as a car accident or natural disaster.

Chronic trauma is an ongoing event that extends over a period of time, such as childhood abuse or domestic violence.

Complex trauma is caused by wide-ranging multiple traumatic events over a prolonged period of time and often interpersonal in nature. Examples of events that fall under complex trauma are human trafficking, institutionalization of orphans, and incest.

Vicarious trauma, also known as secondary trauma, is trauma that occurs through exposure to a first-hand account of trauma. Many people in helping professions, such as first responders, rescue workers, therapists, and people in close relationships with a survivor, can experience vicarious trauma.

Trauma Symptoms

Although there are many varied reasons for trauma, the after-effects usually manifest in predictable symptoms. Despite these common and universal symptoms, each individual will experience trauma differently and uniquely. Common symptoms of trauma can include:

Nightmares

Flashbacks of the event
Feelings of helplessness
Relationship issues and problems maintaining friendships and close relationships
Loss of trust in others and loved ones
Low self-esteem
Self-blame
Grief
Anger or rage
Substance abuse
Sleep disturbances
Dissociation (zoning out, memory loss, feelings of unreality)
Anxiety, inability to relax, and even panic attacks
Depression
Self-harm
Suicidal thoughts

Diagnosis

What if I was diagnosed with a disorder? A doctor or psychologist may diagnose an individual with acute stress, post-traumatic stress (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress (CPTSD), or adjustment disorder when symptoms fall within those categories. It is important to remember that diagnoses are not fixed conditions that define an individual. Diagnoses often change with treatment and time, and are not intended as lifelong sentences.

Acute stress disorder is diagnosed within one month after the traumatic event, and can resolve onits own. About half those diagnosed with acute stress disorder will go on to have PTSD.

PTSD is diagnosed after at least one month of distressing symptoms that interfere with daily living. The trauma symptoms must occur within four different categories, a re-experiencing symptom, avoiding behaviours, difficulty with thoughts or feelings, and increased reactivity or alertness. It may surprise you that PTSD can also have a delayed expression and all the symptoms may not manifest until six months or more after the traumatic event.

Complex PTSD is an international definition advocated for by Dr. Judith Herman to describe severe and long-term trauma impact. The International Disease Classification, 11th ed. (ICD-11), requires PTSD symptoms plus mood difficulties, negative self-views, or interpersonal difficulty to meet its requirement for Complex PTSD.

Adjustment disorder is when behaviours or emotions resulting from a stressful event impact daily living.

Healing Immediately After Trauma

After removing yourself from danger, seek medical attention, create safety around yourself, make plans to keep yourself safe, tell others about what happened to you as often as possible, and practice self-care.

10 Tips to Heal From Trauma

In the months and years following trauma, when symptoms persist, here are some tips to help you on your road to recovery. Since trauma can get trapped in the body and in non-verbal ways, many of these tips include somatic suggestions.

Strengthen your vagal nerves, a part of your parasympathetic nervous system which helpsthe body to rest and digest. Vagus nerve exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing, can be found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlAI4scbelI
Practice grounding and mindfulness as suggested on Fancy Therapy’s blog: https://fancytherapy.ca/blog/grounding-the-self
Practice self-care through eating healthy foods, good sleep habits, avoiding harmful substances, and exercising.
Physical exercises you may find helpful include yoga, running, walking in nature, martialarts, boxing, drumming, aerobics, dancing, and cycling.
Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself.
Express your emotions creatively, through visual art, dance, music, poetry, or movement. After creative expression of your emotions, you can add words to your masterpiece, to process and organize your experiences.
Reconnect with friends, family, and your community. Join a community, if you are not already a part of one.
Find values and meaning out of the experience, even though it doesn’t take away the bad that happened
Talk with a professional counsellor. Therapists who use a “trauma-informed approach” are best equipped to help. Residents of Ontario can book a free 15-mins online consultation with a Fancy Therapy counsellor.
Reach out and seek help. Crisis Services Canada is 1-833-456-4566 or text 741741. In case of emergency, call 911 or go to your local hospital’s emergency department.

Although it may seem insurmountable, people can and do recover from trauma. There is hope. You are not alone.

Trauma Resources
For more information, visit:
Website for more information on trauma: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/trauma/about-trauma/
“The Body Keeps Score” book by Bessel van der Kolk https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
Self-Care article: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/health/what-is-self-care
Exercises to calm the nervous system at Kyle Poon’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@CalmwithKyle*Please check with your medical doctor before beginning or changing any exercise routines