Simply stated, trauma is the emotional impact of a frightening experience. It can be minor or serious...or anything in between. It can result in a long lasting functional impairment (also know as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD) or it can be a short lived reaction that has few symptoms.
Different people experience trauma for different reasons and at significantly varying degrees. This is especially evident in cases that involve sibling groups of children. A family may see only one of 5 children display symptoms of PTSD related to a trauma that affected the entire family. Or, only one of 5 children may survive a trauma without any evidence of impairment. How a traumatic event affects a child is a complicated process that involves the child's perception of the incident, their perception of safety, individual resiliency and a miriad of other factors.
PTSD is an acronym for the diagnostic term, "posttraumatic stress disorder." Many people joke about or even believe they suffer from PTSD. We hear a great deal about veterans returning from war with the condition. We may even diagnose others with the condition - "She's rude to people, because she has PTSD from being in the complaint department for too long." The truth is, PTSD is a serious response to trauma.
To be accurately diagnosed with this disorder, a person must have experienced an event in which they felt thier life or the life of someone else was in mortal danger, AND the person must re-experience the intense emotions of horror when memories of the event are triggered, AND they must experience several psychological symptoms that are related to their efforts to avoid that emotional reaction. The brain attempts to resolve traumatic experiences, naturally. PTSD develops in people who resist the brain's attempts, because the emotions involved are too intense for them to manage, successfully.
In most cases of PTSD, the danger was very real...such as in the case of war veterans. However, there are also cases in which the danger was only "perceived." This is a common issue in cases of domestic violence. Children, especially, suffer a great deal of trauma when their caregiver is threatened with serious harm or death by the abuser. Even if the abuser never actually injures or kills anyone in the family, children can be significantly traumatized by the belief that he or she will follow through with threats to do so. Long term exposure to this violence compounds the impact of PTSD, making it more difficult to resolve.
If you are interested in a clinical diagnosis, visit THE WEB STORE. For a small fee, you can receive a professional evaluation and an individualized treatment plan for managing your problematic symptoms of PTSD. Even if you do not have a clinically significant diagnosis of PTSD, you will receive a treatment plan with suggestions and advice for preventing further decompensation of daily functioning. Evaluations and treatment plans are available for both children and adults.
