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What is trauma ? What makes an experience traumatic ?
SAID ALOUD
What is trauma ? What makes an experience traumatic ?
Aims . To explain trauma and human responses to it , and share our understanding of them .
PART II : THE TRAINING
Trainer . Now we will speak about trauma and why such events affect us very strongly and in different ways .
We say that an event is traumatic when it is overwhelming , inescapable and very frightening ; it involves loss of control and goes beyond what we are normally prepared to deal with . We say an event is traumatic when it harms someone so much that he or she does not believe she can continue to function or go on living .
Dramatic events can traumatise us . Human beings will have strong reactions after overwhelming experiences . Rape is such an experience . We all share certain reactions after very threatening events . But some people are more vulnerable than others and many factors influence vulnerability . Young people may be more vulnerable than those who are older . But this is not always so . In addition to biological factors , a survivor ’ s vulnerability is influenced by her security or insecurity , the support that is available to her , and her training and education before and after the trauma . When a person is exposed to severe trauma , such as rape , we could say that it creates a ‘ traumaillness ’ – that is , a serious and painful stress reaction . But we must be prepared to deal with many different kinds of reactions and symptoms , even among individuals who are exposed to similar events .
Exercise 4 . What makes an event traumatic ? ( 15 minutes in plenary .)
EXERCISE
Reflect together .
• In your society , what is considered a traumatic event ?
• How are the survivors you meet affected by what has happened to them ?
• What reactions are the same ? What reactions are different ?
• How do the women themselves talk about their reactions ?
• What do think is specific about your setting ?