We may want to rethink what it means to experience trauma. We typically think of trauma as a significant, life altering event (or ongoing events) that are so significant, we cannot cope with it, and it causes potentially significant changes to our mental and emotional health. Examples include:
- Living through a physical or sexual assault.
- Going to war or fighting abroad.
- Experiencing an accident of some kind (like a car accident).
- Having a near death medical experience, and more.
- Being raised in an abusive of neglectful household.
These are all significant life events that can absolutely cause trauma, and should be seen and addressed as traumatic events. Many of these can cause a condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a trauma-specific condition.
But those are not the only ways to experience trauma, nor are conditions like PTSD the only conditions that can arise from trauma.
The Many Types of Forgotten Traumas
It is important to recognize that “trauma” is not limited to these significant life events. Many of us have, and will, experience traumas at different stages throughout our lives, beginning when we’re younger and continuing into adulthood. For example:
- Parents that had high expectations of our grades and pushed us hard to get straight-As.
- Panic attacks that caused us to experience distressing life events.
- Siblings that picked on us a bit too often or used disparaging words.
- Sudden job loss that caused temporary, but significant, financial distress.
- An embarrassing early sexual experience that led to feelings of shame.
These may not be what we think about when we traditionally discuss “traumas.” But they are all experiences that we may struggle to cope with, and can alter our emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Why This Matters
These types of events may not necessarily trigger PTSD (though they can). But they may be responsible for stress, anxiety, depression, social phobia, and other conditions that still affect our mental health and wellness. They’re also all examples of traumas that we do need to identify and address if we want to move forward with our mental health.
For example, a perfectionist may find that their perfectionism comes from generational traumas in their childhood, like a parent that forced them to help them clean too harshly before guests arrived. Someone with social anxiety may find that it was at least partially caused by upsetting social experiences in their youth, caused by bullying or lack of experience.
These are all examples of ways that trauma can affect us, and examples of ways that trauma causes issues beyond PTSD. If you would like help addressing your traumas, please contact Long Island Psychology, today.
