Trauma is a psychological response to an event or series of events that cause physical, emotional, and/or mental harm. The effects of trauma can be short- or long-term, and severity can vary depending on the individual. Research shows us that trauma can affect everyone differently. There are several trauma types to know about. Read on to learn about each of them.
When we think of psychological trauma, we often think of a single event that causes great harm or pain. However, different types of traumas can occur throughout our lives. Trauma isn’t limited to physical events; it can also be emotional or psychological in nature. Some common trauma symptoms can include:
“Trauma can be caused by various situations ranging from natural disasters to abuse, vehicle accidents, and more.”
– Talkspace therapist Ashley Ertel, LCSW, BCD, C-DBT
While most people are familiar with the concept of trauma, many are unaware of the different types of trauma that exist. Trauma can be classified as acute, chronic, or complex.
Acute trauma is a psychological trauma that occurs in response to a single, highly stressful event. For example, it can come after experiencing a natural disaster, seeing a bad car accident, or witnessing violence. Acute trauma can lead to long-term mental health problems if not appropriately addressed.
Acute trauma can come from a single event threatening your life or safety. It can also result from an act of violence against you or after witnessing a traumatic event happening to someone else.
This type of trauma can lead to acute stress disorder (ASD), which is a mental health condition typically appearing within 3 days of a traumatizing event and lasting up to 1 month.
Chronic trauma is a response to ongoing or repeated traumatic experiences. It differs from acute trauma in this sense, as acute trauma occurs after just one traumatic experience or event.
Chronic trauma can result from any of the following:
Complex trauma is a type of stress similar to generational trauma that can occur when someone experiences multiple, chronic, or prolonged exposure to traumatizing events. It can happen to both children and adults. However, complex traumas like abandonment trauma, for example, are more common among those who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood.
Complex trauma can cause long-term problems with physical and mental health. Forming and maintaining healthy relationships can also be very isolating and challenging.
Complex trauma can harm mental and physical health due to repeated, continued traumatization. It can be the result of things like:
Trauma can come from many places or experiences. It can happen to anyone at any time and has lasting effects. Some sources of trauma might include the following:
Witnessing or being directly involved in a violent act can be traumatizing. It might include seeing or experiencing domestic abuse, sexual assault, child abuse, war combat, or anything else that’s graphic and violent.
A shocking accident can be jarring and cause trauma, whether you’re directly involved or just a witness to it.
Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can all be factors that lead to a traumatic response.
Rape or a violent assault can be the source of a traumatic reaction, whether you’re the one who experienced the attack or someone close to you did.
Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, or any other natural disaster can be more than just frightening. They can be traumatic, especially if they cause death, displacement, or food or housing insecurity.
Death — especially if it’s sudden or unexpected — of a loved one can be traumatic for anyone to cope with.
If you or someone you love has experienced any of the types of traumas we’ve discussed here, seeking professional help can be instrumental in learning to cope with the aftermath and healing. Trauma isn’t something you have to go through alone, and certain coping mechanisms like trauma dumping can do more harm than good.
“Determining who will develop a trauma-related disorder is incredibly difficult, as every person will respond to traumatic incidents in their own unique ways. It’s important to note that some people may experience an event as highly traumatic, while others may not experience the same event as traumatic. If you’re dealing with the effects of trauma, finding a trauma-informed therapist is an excellent option.”
– Talkspace therapist Ashley Ertel, LCSW, BCD, C-DBT
It’s important to be aware of the different trauma types so you can understand how they might impact your mental and physical health. If you’re struggling with the aftermath of trauma, please know that you’re not alone. Many people have been through similar experiences and understand what you’re going through, and therapy can help you heal.
When it comes to how to deal with trauma, online trauma therapy with Talkspace can make the process of getting help simple. In just a few clicks, you’ll be connected with a therapist who understands what you’re going through. Talkspace therapists are experienced in trauma therapy and can help you work through your feelings and recover from traumatic experiences you’ve endured.
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Sometimes it feels as if your bereavement will never end. You feel as if youd give anything to have the pain go away; to have the long lonely hours between nightfall and dawn pass without heartache. You are not the only grieving person who has longed for some measure of relief.In the novel, My Sisters Keeper, author Jodi Picoult wrote, There should be a statute of limitations on grief. A rule book that says it is all right to wake up crying, but only for a month. That after 42 days you will no longer turn with your heart racing, certain you have heard her call out your name.No such rule book exists. Grief counselors and therapists tell us that the length of time it takes anyone to grieve the loss of someone they held dear to them is dependent on the situation, how attached you were to the deceased, how they died, your age and gender. So many variables exist and theres absolutely no way to predict how long it will take for you to adapt to your loss.The Difference Between Normal and Complicated GriefResearch findings have led experts to come up with many differing categories of grief experience ranging from normal to complicated. Normal (or uncomplicated) grief has no timeline and encompasses a range of feelings and behaviors common after loss such as bodily distress, guilt, hostility, preoccupation with the image of the deceased, and the inability to function as one had before the loss. All are normal and present us with profound, and seemingly endless, challenges. Yet, Katherine Walsh says, Over the course of time, with average social supportmost individuals will gradually experience a diminishment of these feelings, behaviors, and sensations. So, how can you know if your bereavement is no longer within the range of normal? Ms. Walsh goes on to say, While there is no definitive time period by which this happens, if an individual or members of a family continue to experience distress intensely or for a prolonged periodor even unexpectedly years after a lossthey may benefit from treatment for complicated grief.A Useful Model for Assessment: Wordens Four Tasks of MourningThere are certain tasks that, when achieved during your bereavement, can successfully allow you to emerge on the other side of loss as a better, stronger, and more resilient individual. James Worden proposed these four tasks: To accept the reality of the loss To process the pain of grief To adjust to a world without the deceased To find an enduring connection with the deceased in the midst of embarking on a new life Instead of focusing on your bodily discomforts, feelings, and common behaviors, this model allows you to better see where you may be stuck or stalled in the adaptive process. Fortunately, Worden also gives us a list of indicators advising that "any one of these clues in and of itself may not be sufficient" for a diagnosis of complicated grief. "However," he continues, "any of theseshould be taken seriously, and the diagnosis of complicated grief should be considered when they appear."12 Clues... 12 InsightsWhile grief educators and theorists tell us that a diagnosis of complicated grief should not even be attempted until after the first anniversary of the death, if any one of the following symptomatic clues exists for longer than six months, you may want to consider grief counseling or grief therapy: You cannot speak of the deceased without experiencing intense and fresh grief long after the loss. A relatively minor event triggers an intense grief reaction. Your conversations with others are littered with references to loss. In other words, loss is an ever-present motif in your world view. You have issues related to your loved one's possessions. Keeping everything the same as before their death could indicate trouble just as tossing out everything right away can also be a clue to disordered mourning. (You also need to factor in your cultural and religious background) You have developed physical symptoms similar to those of the deceased before their death. Sometimes these symptoms recur annually, on the anniversary of the death, or on holidays. An increased susceptibility to illness or the development of a chronic physical complaint can also be an indicator. If you have made radical changes to your lifestyle, or excluded friends, family members, or even activities associated with the deceased, it may indicate unresolved grief. A long history of depression, often marked by guilt or low self-esteem, can reveal disordered mourning. The opposite is also true: a person experiencing a false sense of happiness or elation could be experiencing unresolved grief. A compulsion to imitate the deceased, in personality or behavior, can be a sign of complicated mourning. Having self-destructive impulses or exhibiting self-destructive behaviors can be significant. These can range from substance abuse, engaging in self-harm, developing eating disorders and suicidal tendencies. A sense of unexplained sadness occurring at a certain time each year (holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays) can also be a clue to unresolved grief. Developing a strong fear about dying, especially when it relates to the illness that took the life of your loved one, is an important clue. If you have avoided visiting your loved one's grave or if you are still unwilling to discuss the circumstances of their death, this could indicate complications in your bereavement. There are many types of complicated grief; it can be delayed, masked, exaggerated, or chronic. Self-diagnosis is without purpose. A year after the death, if you feel your grief symptoms worsening, we advise that you seek a referral from your family physician for professional grief counseling or therapy.Sources: Walsh, Katherine, Grief and Loss: Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions, 2nd Edition, 2012 Worden, James, Grief Counseling & Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, 4th Edition, 2009
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Online Mental Health TherapyMental health support from anywhere, available fast Talkspace provides mental health support privately and conveniently online. Receive live video therapy appointments from a highly qualified licensed therapist covered by your Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan with little wait. Individual therapy, psychiatry, or couples counseling covered by your private insurance plan is also readily available.Talkspace provides:A private space to discuss relationships, retirement, grief, health conditions, financial concerns, life changes, and anything thats on your mindLive one-on-one therapy sessions from your computer or phoneTreatment for over 150 mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, grief, depression, OCD, BPD, and moreMessaging therapy allows you to share with your therapist 24/7 and receive feedback and advice, and is proven to be as effective as traditional therapy..Connect with a therapist within daysTalkspace will match you with a therapist who is licensed in your state and should be a good fit for your needs. Start communicating with your therapist in 1-2 days.Receive care on your scheduleTalkspace removes all the scheduling hassles so you can get mental health support anytime, anywhere. Send your therapist text, voice, or video messages through the secure Talkspace platform and hear back daily, 5 days / weekStart your care journey with Talkspace today, visit www.talkspace.com
Online Mental Health TherapyMental health support from anywhere, available fast Talkspace provides mental health support privately and conveniently online. Receive live video therapy appointments from a highly qualified licensed therapist covered by your Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan with little wait. Individual therapy, psychiatry, or couples counseling covered by your private insurance plan is also readily available.Talkspace provides:A private space to discuss relationships, retirement, grief, health conditions, financial concerns, life changes, and anything thats on your mindLive one-on-one therapy sessions from your computer or phoneTreatment for over 150 mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, grief, depression, OCD, BPD, and moreMessaging therapy allows you to share with your therapist 24/7 and receive feedback and advice, and is proven to be as effective as traditional therapy..Connect with a therapist within daysTalkspace will match you with a therapist who is licensed in your state and should be a good fit for your needs. Start communicating with your therapist in 1-2 days.Receive care on your scheduleTalkspace removes all the scheduling hassles so you can get mental health support anytime, anywhere. Send your therapist text, voice, or video messages through the secure Talkspace platform and hear back daily, 5 days / weekStart your care journey with Talkspace today, visit www.talkspace.com