Trauma is a term that generally describes situations in which a person is physically or emotionally harmed and the experience has a psychologically traumatic impact. Trauma can severely affect a person's normal functioning and can have a profound impact on personal life, mental health and daily activities.
Physical trauma can refer to harm resulting from an accident, injury, natural disaster or accidents, while emotional trauma usually involves psychological effects resulting from severe stress, loss, abuse, violence or other challenging life experiences.
When individuals are exposed to a traumatic event, they can often experience a variety of symptoms. These symptoms can include anxiety, depression, nightmares, recall difficulties, emotional numbness and a constant sense of threat. Professional help, support groups, therapy and other treatment methods can be used to cope with the after-effects of trauma.
What is Trauma?
Trauma refers to a situation in which an individual suffers physical or emotional harm. Physical trauma includes injuries resulting from an accident, injury, natural disaster or other damaging event, while emotional trauma is the psychological effects of stress, mistreatment, loss, violence or other challenging life experiences.
Traumatic events can severely affect an individual's normal functioning and lead to long-term psychological effects. Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the symptoms that can occur following traumatic events. These symptoms can include anxiety, depression, nightmares, recall difficulties, emotional numbness and a constant sense of threat.
Treatment varies depending on the type of trauma the person has experienced. Professional help, therapy, support groups and other treatment methods can help individuals cope and recover from traumatic experiences.
What Trauma Means
Trauma is a term frequently used in daily life and usually refers to events that increase stress levels. However, traumatic experiences can be defined as events that disrupt the daily routine, occur unexpectedly and terrify the person, causing anxiety and panic, and disrupting meaning-making processes. This can include events such as a traffic accident, a natural disaster, harassment or a coercive experience. For example, the first slap in a long-term marriage can also be an example of a traumatic experience.
What is Psychological Trauma?
Psychological trauma refers to a specific condition that can damage an individual's mental and emotional health, often as a result of exposure to severe and violent events. Such events can severely impact an individual's normal functioning and have long-term psychological effects. Psychological trauma can include situations such as
Natural Disasters: Challenging experiences with natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.
Accidents or Injuries: Physical trauma, such as having a serious accident, significant injury or surgery.
Harassment or Violence: Sexual, emotional or physical abuse, violent relationships or assault.
War and Terror: Exposure to war, terrorist attacks or military conflicts.
Major Losses: Coping with major losses such as death, separation, divorce.
Post-Accident Situations: Witnessing or responding to accidents or tragic events.
Psychological trauma can trigger conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions include symptoms that occur following traumatic events, such as recurrent nightmares, avoidance behaviors, anxiety and emotional numbness. Resources such as professional help, support groups and therapy can be used to cope after psychological trauma.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the emotional healing and coping processes of individuals following psychological trauma. This therapy aims to address stress, anxiety, depression and other post-traumatic symptoms caused by traumatic experiences. Different therapists and therapy modalities may use various approaches in the field of trauma therapy. Here are some common methods of trauma therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of therapy that focuses on changing an individual's thought patterns and behaviors. It aims to teach the individual healthy thinking and behavior strategies to cope with post-traumatic symptoms.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a therapy method using eye movements. The person talks to the therapist with these movements in order to process traumatic events in a healthier way.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): EFT is an energy psychology technique that aims to release traumatic memories and emotional baggage. It focuses on tapping meridian energy points and using specific phrases.
Psychodrama: This therapy allows the individual to express traumatic events through role-playing and acting them out. It is often used in group therapy.
Schema Therapy: Aims to help the individual understand and change negative thought patterns and emotional reactions.
Group Therapy: Group therapy allows traumatized individuals to come together to share their experiences, get support and help each other.
Because each individual's experience is different, trauma therapy is often customized to individual needs and the therapist's area of expertise. Guided by a professional therapist, trauma therapy can support an individual's emotional healing process.
Trauma-Induced Illnesses
Trauma can affect an individual's mental and emotional health, which can lead to various health problems. However, it cannot be said that trauma causes specific diseases. However, the stress and emotional strain caused by traumatic experiences can increase the risk of certain health problems. Here are some possible health problems caused by trauma:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Exposure to traumatic events can cause PTSD. This condition is characterized by symptoms such as recurrent nightmares, anxiety, avoidance behaviors and emotional numbness.
Depression: Traumatic experiences can increase the risk of depression. This is characterized by symptoms such as lack of energy, hopelessness and loss of interest.
Anxiety Disorders: Trauma can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks or social anxiety.
Addiction: Traumatic events can lead to the development of alcohol, drug or other addictions, which the individual may resort to in a negative way to cope with these events.
Somatic Symptoms and Pain: Psychological trauma can cause various somatic symptoms and pain in the body. This can include physical ailments such as headaches, stomach problems or chronic pain.
Relationship Problems: Traumatic experiences can affect a person's emotional attachment abilities and lead to problems in relationships.
Every individual is different and two people exposed to the same traumatic event may react differently. Post-traumatic health problems are often complex and unique to the individual. Professional help can support the process of coping effectively with traumatic experiences.
EMDR After Trauma
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an effective therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other traumatic experiences. EMDR involves a process of therapy that helps the individual process traumatic memories. Here is some basic information on how EMDR is used after trauma:
Information Gathering and Preparation: The EMDR process usually begins with gathering information about the individual's traumatic experiences and building a relationship of trust with the therapist. The therapist asks the individual to tell details about their past traumatic events.
Goal Selection: In one phase of EMDR, the individual and the therapist work together to identify specific goals to focus on during the treatment process. These goals may be related to traumatic events that the individual has experienced.
Bilateral Stimulation: EMDR is characterized by the use of bilateral stimuli such as sound, touch or vibration in combination or alternatively with eye movements. The therapist uses these stimuli while focusing on the individual's traumatic memories.
Processing Phase: The individual recalls traumatic memories with mild stimuli and focuses on these memories. The therapist helps the individual to process these memories. Eye movements or other bilateral stimuli can help the brain process the information in a more adaptive way.
Assessment: In the final phase of the EMDR process, the emotional state of the individual is assessed. This process can continue until the traumatic memories become less intense and disturbing.
EMDR can help the individual to process traumatic memories in a more adaptive way, which can reduce the impact of traumatic events. However, EMDR should be practiced under the guidance of a professional therapist. EMDR can be effective in the treatment of PTSD and posttraumatic distress, as well as other anxiety and stress disorders.