What is Trauma?
In the video above, Bessel van der Kolk explains how definitions of trauma have evolved. He also explores how trauma affects our bodies and brains.
References:
Big Think. (2021, September 17). What is trauma? The author of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains | Bessel van der Kolk | Big Think [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJfmfkDQb14
Canadian Association for Mental Health. (2022). Trauma. https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/trauma
Davidson, S. (2017). Trauma-informed practices for postsecondary education: a guide. Education Northwest. https://educationnorthwest.org/resources/trauma-informed-practices-postsecondary-education-guide
The Canadian Association for Mental Health (CAMH) (2022) defines trauma as:
“…the lasting emotional response that often results from living through a distressing event.”
The CAMH goes on to explain the effects of trauma:
“Experiencing a traumatic event can harm a person’s sense of safety, sense of self, and ability to regulate emotions and navigate relationships. Long after the traumatic event occurs, people with trauma can often feel shame, helplessness, powerlessness and intense fear.”
Davidson (2017) notes that there are many types of traumatic experiences, which include:
- experiencing abuse
- experiencing or witnessing violence
- experiencing warfare in a military or civilian context
- being involved in a serious accident
- experiencing health emergencies or other life-threatening health situations
- experiencing poverty, including housing instability
- living with historical community trauma
It is important to note that the same event may result in different experiences of trauma for different individuals. Van der Kolk (2021) highlights that a major factor impacting whether an event is experienced as traumatic is the relational supports available to a person at the time of the difficult event.