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Trauma goes beyond catastrophic events like natural disasters or wars. Understanding different types of trauma can help people recognize ongoing symptoms and seek appropriate treatment.
What is Trauma? Trauma is an event, a person’s experience of that event, and its lingering adverse effects. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop long-term symptoms. Factors like environment, resilience, and support systems influence how trauma impacts an individual.
- Acute Trauma: A single unexpected incident, such as:
- Life-threatening events
- Violent assaults
- Natural disasters
- Accidents
- Complex Trauma: Repetitive childhood experiences that can impact child development, including:
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Bullying
- Religious trauma
- Chronic Trauma: Repeated or prolonged traumatic events, such as:
- Living through war
- Intimate partner violence
- Chronic illness or medical trauma
- Collective Trauma: Affecting entire communities or cultural groups, like:
- Historical oppression
- Systematic discrimination
- COVID-19 pandemic
Effects of Traumatic Experiences: Trauma can manifest through various physical, emotional, and psychological responses:
- Avoiding reminders of the event
- Feelings of shame and guilt
- Memory and sleep struggles
- Anxiety and depression
- Hypervigilance
- Emotional dysregulation
These responses represent the brain and body’s protective mechanisms, attempting to prevent future traumatic experiences.
Recovery and Support
Recognizing trauma symptoms is an act of courage. Professional support is available through trauma-informed therapists and other healing paths. These professionals understand trauma’s complexity and can support healing at a personalized pace.
If you see these experiences in yourself or someone you care about, remember that healing is possible, and you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
Julie Blair is a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist at Your Therapy.
Your Therapy is a safe, welcoming, counselling therapy practice in the Greater Toronto Area. Thanks for reading and, as always, please feel free to reach out with questions about talk therapy or other mental health issues. We offer Individual, Couple and Family Therapy.
