Trauma: The Scars you Don’t See Are the Hardest to Heal

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Unfortunately, over 50% of people will experience at least one trauma in their lives. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can be traumatic, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective facts that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized.

Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by one-time events, such as an accident or violent attack, or by ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, battling a life-threatening illness or bullying.

Commonly overlooked causes of trauma include, surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life), the sudden death of someone close, the breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, especially if someone was deliberately cruel.

With Proper support from a trained clinician, individuals suffering from trauma can regain control of their lives. Treatment may include different types of trauma-focused psychotherapy, as well as medication to manage symptoms in some cases. “Trauma-Focused” means that the treatment focuses on the memory of the traumatic event and/or its meaning. A skilled clinician will understand the complexity of your trauma and help to create a safe space to overcome your fears.