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Trauma
Trauma is essentially a psychological, emotional, or physical response to an event or series of events that are overwhelmingly stressful or harmful. These events may threaten a person's sense of security, cause physical harm, or create feelings of helplessness, fear, or isolation. Trauma can have long-lasting effects on a person’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It is important to consider that there exist multiple times of trauma, such as acute, chronic, complex, and secondary/vicarious trauma.
Acute Trauma
Acute trauma results from a single distressing event, such as an accident, natural disaster, or assault. It is usually unexpected and can leave a lasting impact on the victim.
Chronic Trauma
Chronic trauma involves repeated and prolonged exposure to harmful situations—like ongoing abuse, neglect, or living in a violent environment. Over time, these repeated experiences can wear a person down emotionally and physically.
Complex Trauma
Complex trauma includes multiple traumatic events over time—often starting in childhood. It’s typically interpersonal, meaning it involves people in the person’s life, like abusive relationships or neglectful caregivers.
Secondary Trauma
Secondary trauma occurs when someone is deeply affected by witnessing or hearing about the traumatic experiences of others. A lot of times, this happens to first responders, therapists, or caregivers.
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