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KEY TO KNOW
2.3 Trauma
Aim . To connect the five stories to knowledge about trauma . To understand what trauma is , what makes an experience traumatising , and what reactions survivors may experience after a traumatic event . A second aim is to help survivors to recover their sense of control , understand “ what is really going on ”, and use stabilisation tools to find a new equilibrium and restore their relationships .
2.3.1 Basic knowledge of trauma reactions
Most people who are exposed to serious and dangerous or life-threatening events show strong mental and physical reactions . These “ acute stress reactions ” generally persist for some time after the event but diminish over time . For many , they subside within a few months ; for some , within a few years . Their duration depends on the severity of the incident and the person ’ s resilience . Some people may experience delayed trauma reactions , meaning that reactions do not appear until well after the event , and some might never have reactions . Others may develop persistent disorders , such as chronic post-traumatic stress disorder ( chronic PTSD ), long-term depression , or anxiety . ( Refer to the Appendix for more information on specific disorders that can develop in connection with trauma .)
The risk of developing a chronic disorder after a stressful or traumatic event is much greater when people ( rather than natural disasters ) are responsible for it . Sexual violence tends to be among the most traumatic events and often produces serious trauma reactions .
“ Even though people are very different they experience the same physiological responses to traumatic events , regardless of their ethnicity , culture and sexual orientation . However , reflecting their cultural , social , or religious background , people commonly express their reactions differently .”
Mental and physical reactions to acute stress are survival strategies . Humans have been exposed to traumatic events since the dawn of time . Over that period , our physiological reactions to such events have been constant and are a form of survival strategy . In this sense , they are a normal reaction to abnormal and catastrophic events . Even though people are very different they experience the same physiological responses to traumatic events , regardless of their ethnicity , culture and sexual orientation . However , reflecting their cultural , social , or religious background , people commonly express their reactions differently . This mean that how we express pain and suffering is often influenced by our background .
The word “ trauma ” has Greek origins and means “ wound ”. Medically , a trauma is a physical wound , caused , for example , by an accident , cutting the skin with a knife or breaking a bone , etc . Using the same word to refer to wounds to the self , the soul , or consciousness acknowledges that injuries can leave invisible marks on a person ’ s psychology .
It is difficult to predict what type of event will cause trauma and physiological and psychological survival reactions . Which symptoms appear , and which ones persist , largely depends on how the person concerned first experiences the event that threatens him and then understands and interprets it .