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Some survive very dangerous situations without developing symptoms , while others in the same situation will be very affected or will subsequently become ill . Individuals are unique , have many coping strategies and tolerate stress to varying degrees . How well a person copes depends on how he interprets the situation in which he finds himself and how sensitive he is in the first place . What kind of help he receives , and society ’ s response , also matter . All these elements influence the degree to which a person can manage a difficult experience with calmness .
What can trigger a “ psychological wound ” ( stressor )? In essence , we are talking about situations that can cause serious or life-threatening injury . These may be single incidents , such as a traffic accident , an assault , a rape , or a natural disaster ; or an accumulation of incidents , such as repeated sexual abuse , serial torture , long-term domestic violence , accumulated war experiences , poverty , or a stressful upbringing ( involving psychological violence , for example ). Depending on the incident and the person ’ s situation and state , witnessing a serious incident can also trigger traumatic reactions .
KEY TO KNOW
REFLECTION QUESTION
Questions to reflect on
• In what circumstances might several trauma reactions be expressed almost simultaneously ?
• How can we help a person understand that what he has experienced is related to survival ?
2.3.2 About symptoms after a traumatic event . How to understand trauma reactions
In the face of overwhelming and frightening events , our instinctive reaction pattern is fight , flight , or freeze ( submit or play dead ), or a mix of these states . When fight and flight are impossible , the body ’ s survival response is to freeze . All these are normal survival responses , over which a person may have little conscious control . Nevertheless , survivors of sexual violence or other catastrophic events often blame themselves for failing to defend themselves adequately . In particular , they often feel shame if they froze and , like Ibrahim , ‘ dreamed ’ their way through their assault . They are troubled that they did not fight their abuser or did not cry for help .
Many survivors find it difficult to accept that survival reactions are instinctive , automatic and unconscious . In retrospect , alternative choices might be apparent ; but , during such events , the survivor is often in shock and possesses limited information , and the event itself may be confusing . Much self-accusation is rooted in the fact that , although the survivor may be able later to understand what was happening , in the moment people who are sexually attacked respond intuitively to the situation that presents itself , while being assailed by strong feelings of fear , bewilderment , panic , embarrassment , anger , intimidation , etc .
“ Many survivors find it difficult to accept that survival reactions are instinctive , automatic and unconscious . In retrospect , alternative choices might be apparent ; but , during such events , the survivor is often in shock and possesses limited information , and the event itself may be confusing .”