The Realities of Trauma and Its Impact

What is Trauma?

The word trauma is thrown around so much in the world around us, but what truly constitutes trauma. Some use it to describe a stressful event, other says it must represent an event so grand that it hinders the individual’s ability to cope. The reality of trauma is that it varies based on the individual and their subjective experience with the stressors. 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) lists five different trauma and stress related disorders, with two additional sections explaining that there may be undefined or other specified disorders that show similar symptoms to be grouped as a trauma and stress related disorder. With the overwhelming number of experiences that individuals face across the world, diagnoses can only be tailored to majorities, meaning your trauma should not be less significant. 

How To Spot It? 

Recognizing trauma can sometimes be hard if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. Certain behaviours or even thoughts can be happening that feel like your normal but may be the result of a traumatic experience. So, what should you look for? 

Intrusive or unwelcomed thoughts: These can come in many different forms but can be spotted when you noticed your thoughts straying away from your present moment and turning into something more negative or persistent. You may feel that no matter how hard you try, they don’t stop and don’t go away. 

Identity disturbances: This can include feelings of “I feel dead inside” or “I feel as though I’m living outside of my body”, and more along those lines. Not being grounded in your own sense of self can be linked to a traumatic experience that either left you feeling as though you weren’t enough to feel loved, or that you may have been physically hurt to the point where you feel trapped in your body.  

Behavioural reflexes: This can include flinching away when walking by cars on the road or if someone were to touch you, or any other sensory input. This is a way that our body naturally fights off something that has caused it pain in the past and has latched on to the fight or flight response of that moment. 

There are many other symptoms of trauma, and they can be unique to each individual, especially in relation to what may have caused that trauma. 

What Do I Do Now? 

The best course of method for dealing with trauma and stress related disorders is to seek professional help. Some of our therapists like Hyunbin, Lolita, Charlie and Joel are experienced trauma informed psychotherapists. By working alongside a professional, you can create positive coping mechanisms that are tailored to your needs and your experiences, which you can use outside of therapy. In addition, you may reach the root of the trauma and have a greater understanding of it. Instead of having it control you, you learnt to control it. 

Call us today at 647- 267-9853 to start your journey towards healing.

References

Giller, E. (1999). What is psychological trauma. Sidran Institute, 15, 2021. Retrieved on September 7th, 2023, from https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/friends-family-alcoholics/214177-what-psychological-trauma.html 

Hulbert, J. C., & Anderson, M. C. (2018). What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger: Psychological trauma and its relationship to enhanced memory control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(12), 1931-1949. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000461 

Lanius, R. A., Terpou, B. A., & McKinnon, M. C. (2020). The sense of self in the aftermath of trauma: Lessons from the default mode network in posttraumatic stress disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1807703 

NIH (2018, June). Dealing With Trauma Recovering from Frightening Events. NIH News in Health. Retrieved September 7, 2023, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/06/dealing-trauma#:~:text=Having%20a%20positive%20coping%20strategy,stress%20symptoms%20learn%20to%20cope.