Researchers usually limit the definition of traumatism to events that can be observed.
Included are:
Abuse can be physical, mental, or sexual
neglect
parental abandonment
Witnessing violence in the family
Living with someone who is suffering from mental illness or substance abuse
Death of a member of the immediate family
parental divorce
incarceration.
These are often referred to as adverse experiences of childhood.
The immediate reaction of those around the child can have a significant impact on their response to trauma. Shutterstock
Include, if relevant, your experiences with war, forced migration, or as a refugee.
We know very little of the needs of those who are better off.
We do know that the trauma itself is not predictive of how someone will be affected.
In other words, traumatizing events do not cause a person to be traumatized.
It may sound paradoxical; however, think of alcohol abuse: the majority of people who consume alcohol never develop a problem. Alcohol does not cause alcoholism.
The definition of trauma is fairly straightforward, but the way people react to it can be very individual. The lasting effects of a traumatic experience is being traumatised.
Traumatized means that your sense of security and safety has been compromised. It can manifest as negative effects on your life, such as anxiety, sleep disorders, substance abuse, depression, etc.
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So why are some people traumatized when others are not?
A multitude of factors determines why some people are traumatized while others aren’t. Some of them are very individual.
There are also some predictability in who will be traumatised, and we can use this to help us identify those who may be doing better.
The response to trauma is important. After the trauma, was the child treated with emotional and physical security, or was the response hostile or ambivalent?
is if you are sexually abused and you don’t have someone to confide in, who will believe you and act on your information.
Was this the first traumatic experience the child had, or were there others? Multiple traumas are not associated with greater resilience, but instead more traumatised people and those who have health issues for life.
There are many ways to protect children from the long-term effects of trauma. Shutterstock
Separation of parents does not necessarily result in a traumatized kid. Divorcing parents whose relationship with their child remains acrimonious and whose care is compromised can compound traumas. They may place the child in a greater risk for ongoing effects.
The third, and most important factor, is if the child has an adult who shows unconditional positive regard. It is often a parent, but this does not have to be the case.
It has been shown that the presence of a loving, constant adult in a child’s life can be incredibly protective when it comes to recovering from negative childhood experiences.
Care for adults is key
We cannot exclude the possibility that someone will be traumatized despite receiving the best interventions and support.
Some people have supportive families, but they still experience ongoing trauma. It is unclear why.
It is possible for to recover after trauma. The more severe the trauma is, especially if it’s a trauma that occurs at home, such as abuse or neglect, the more deeply someone’s sense of safety has been compromised.
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For a child who never had a consistent caregiver to hug them each day, the effects might be impossible to ameliorate. That’s why they should be prevented.
How can someone who has been traumatized live a healthy, happy life if they cannot prevent every traumatic event?
Through care, essentially. In studies of resilience and trauma, the factors that are most consistently protective include a caring adult, unconditional support and love, and a feeling of belonging to their community.
There are ways to protect children from the long-term effects of trauma.