Psychological Effects Of Trauma

Trauma is an individual’s visceral reaction to a horrible event, events such as early childhood traumas, accidents, sexual abuse, or community violence (apa.org, 2016). An individual may react with shock and denial in the aftermath. As time continues some reactions may comprise of mood swings, intrusive memories, difficulties maintaining relationships and can manifest into physical symptoms to include headache or upset stomach. There are individuals who experience difficulties functioning in their daily lives; these observable responses are a normal response to the trauma (apa.org, 2016).

“American Psychiatric Association defines trauma as an event that represents a threat to life or personal integrity. Trauma can also be experienced when children are faced with a caregiver who acts erratically, emotional and /or physical neglect, and exploitation” (Maltby, L., & Hall, T. 2012. p. 304). Trauma comes in many different forms including: war, rape, kidnapping, abuse, sudden injury, and

The effects of trauma can be looked at into two separate categories however, they both are interrelated: neurodevelopment and psychosocial development. From the onset of birth, we are born with 100 billion neurons, much more than we will ever need and much more than we will ever have. Between these neurons, trillions of synapses are created. Depending upon the early life experiences in relation to attachments with caregivers and our environment, some synapses will be strengthened whilst others will be discarded.

Trauma, as well as a one time, numerous, or a long lasting repetitive happenings, it has an emotional influence and affects every person in a different way. Some people may clearly show conditions that are connected with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but then several

The authors focus on trauma that range from small events to large events that can occur within an individual’s lifespan from early childhood to adulthood up until the golden years. The paper provides particularly interesting research around neurobiological implications that trauma can affect.

Trauma is easy to understand but it can feel hard to manage. According to the Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration, trauma is a situation that “causes physical or emotional harm from which you cannot remove yourself.”

Kaakinen et al., (2015) stated that trauma is a vital experience that affects the family system. It is an emotional reaction to a terrible occurrence such as; rape, accident, or natural disaster (American Psychological Association [APA], 2016). Its effects transcends an individual family member to affect other members of a family resulting into secondary trauma, based on the severity of the trauma ( Kaakinen et al., 2015). Trauma is acquired or could arise as a result of disasters, which are oftentimes unexpected. Some of them include; floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, transportation accidents or wildfires and more (APA, 2016). Effectively coping with the effects of trauma and recovery is largely dependent upon understanding the responses

Trauma is defined as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster” (www.apa.org) Trauma can affect one in a negative or positive way. Usually people deal with the trauma on their own while others seek for help. In the novel, The Fall Of Rome by Martha Southgate, Rashid Bryson and Jerome Washington face trauma. Both Rashid and Jerome experience a death of a brother but react to it in different ways. Rashid believes that life should be about mentorship and puts himself out there while Jerome believes that life should be about not depending on others and becomes a private person. These reflect opposite reactions to trauma.

Almost weekly, we are faced hear of a large-scale crisis, as well as a low scale. The impact that these traumatic events are having on children cannot be ignored. It is becoming apparent of the ongoing need of addressing crises, trauma, and the effects on children. The need for crisis intervention services; especially for children is necessary. However, not every child who has experienced trauma needs a trauma-focused treatment. As such there are some traumatic experiences that indicate the need for an immediate referral (Myer, Peterson, & Willow 2002). For the counselor, it is important to understand the meaning of the event for the child and from there to develop and intervention plan with the goal of helping

How does trauma impact human psychology, and how has the disorder we now call PTSD been perceived throughout human history?

Exposure to trauma has many downsides. Because trauma is a form of distress, there are not any notable upsides. There are various long-term and short-term effects that have a negative impact on the psyche and the body.

Trauma, it is a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can occur through even the smallest changes, which the individuals ability to merge their emotional experience is too overwhelming for them. Emma Donoghue shows this and the other effect of trauma is her novel Room. Throughout the story Donoghue shows and proves how trauma can occur with how a child is raised, and if not raised in the right environment any sort of little change can be traumatic. Emma Donoghue suggests that the effects of trauma shows that where and how you live, and how dramatic change can affect a child's development and an adults personality.

Trauma not only refers to the damages caused by physical external forces, but also can refer to the psychological damage caused by some kinds of strong emotions, such as the suffering of loss, family violence or others. Judith Butler, writing about trauma, says “As far as loss, he holds that if we have lost, then it follows that we have had, that we have desired and loved, that we have struggled

Trauma can effect children during two vital processes, psychosocial development and neurodevelopment. Psychosocial development includes personality, morality, values, social behavior (Putnam, 2006). Neurodevelopment includes biological brain growth, and the growth of the nervous system and endocrine system (Putnam, 2006). “Because early experiences occur in the context of a developing brain, neural development and social interaction are inextricably linked” (Van der Kolk, 2005 p. 402) Childhood trauma can cause reactions similar to PTSD, which are thought to be more persistent than the reactions of adults, in addition to anxiety and depression (Coates & Gaensbauer, 2009).

This theory is based on the belief that it is not the trauma itself that is damaging but