A trauma is a type of psychological trauma which results in a permanent change in the mental functioning of a person. Most often, trauma is caused by a violent and extremely unpleasant experience in which the life or health of a specific person or their relatives is endangered.
As a result of the occurrence of trauma, the person affected by it may have problems with returning to normal functioning. People with trauma have a problem in fulfilling their daily duties and functioning properly as members of society.
The causes of the trauma
Trauma can be triggered by a number of different factors, sometimes of a very individual nature. The most common causes of trauma include:
- participation in a traffic accident,
- being a victim of an attack or acts of aggression,
- tragic death of a loved one,
- a situation where life is at risk of loss,
- participation in hostilities,
- rape.
In addition, there are a number of other factors that can trigger trauma. In general, the trauma may be a consequence of participation in a single or long-term event in which the individual experiences a powerful charge of negative emotions caused by external factors. An example of such a situation may be experiencing violence at school, in the workplace, in a group of peers.
Check what medications are taken for schizophrenia
Trauma symptoms
Experts believe that trauma is the body’s natural protective reaction to the existing, dangerous situation. Defense mechanisms are used to deal with exceptional situations, such as a threat to life or health. Moreover, these mechanisms serve to maintain health and to return to normal functioning after the influence of negative stimuli has ceased.
We can talk about trauma when the symptoms caused by negative external stimuli persist for a long time after their impact has ceased. The most common symptoms include:
- trembling limbs,
- cry,
- increased heart rate
- rapid breathing,
- fading
- “Detachment from reality”, no reaction to attempts to establish contact,
- neurotic behavior – repeating certain gestures, activities, statements,
- long-lasting, depressed mood or negative emotions,
- uncontrolled attacks of negative emotions,
- problems with concentration and memory,
- feeling over-excited,
- racing thoughts, intrusive and unpleasant thoughts,
- repetitive repetition of traumatic events in your mind,
- unjustified fears for the health or life of one’s own or relatives,
- difficulties in feeling and expressing emotions, lack of felt emotions, apathy or excessive emotionality,
- avoiding situations, people and places that can be associated with a traumatic event,
- problems with sleeping,
- depressive states,
- thoughts of suicide.
The intensity of trauma symptoms and their duration depend on the individual predispositions of a particular person. The most important factors include individual biological conditions, a sense of support from other people, the state of well-being at the time of experiencing trauma-inducing stimuli, and others. The very fact of the isolation of the trauma, which does not always affect different people to the same degree, may depend on these factors.
Sometimes, the development of trauma may be inhibited as a result of the support received from other people. In this respect, the presence of relatives and the involvement of specialists who can help alleviate the symptoms of trauma and help in returning to normal functioning, from the period before the traumatic event, is important.
Sometimes the symptoms of trauma can resemble post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short. Post-traumatic stress disorder is also one of the potential consequences of experiencing a traumatic situation.
The specificity of trauma
Trauma manifests itself, inter alia, through recurrent behavior that suggests re-exposure to a traumatic situation. Such body responses can be triggered by exposure to factors that resemble a traumatic event. Most often, trauma symptoms are caused by:
- sound,
- smell,
- specific person view
- touch
- presence in specific places,
- participation in specific social relationships,
- moments of increased stress or anxiety,
- feeling of helplessness.
For example: a person who has witnessed hostilities may develop symptoms of trauma as a result of stimuli such as the scream of another person, the sound of a shot, explosion, or the sight of a human corpse. Such an exaggerated reaction, inadequate to the real threat, is a typical symptom of trauma.
Trauma can also trigger other psychological or personality disorders. The most common trauma-induced disorders are depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It should be noted that the development of this type of ailments as a result of trauma occurs only when they occurred in undeveloped or undisclosed form before the traumatic event.