Trauma

Over the last decade there has been a significant increase in our understanding of trauma, and the lasting effects it can have on the mind and the body.

While there are now a range of clinical diagnosis such as PTSD and Complex PTSD, trauma in and of itself can have significant effects on an individual without that person necessarily having a clinical diagnosis.

To try to put it simply, when a person experiences a traumatic event, such as violence, abuse, or witnessing a traumatic event, a certain set of feelings and emotions are experienced..

Sometimes these are processed, but other times they are not, and are stored in the body.

When another event happens that evokes these same set of thoughts and feelings, a person may become triggered. At this point their mind and body may feel like they are back in that traumatic event. It becomes difficult to seperate past, present and future.

This can be why a seemingly simple event can have such an intense response.

Often it is confusing because a person may not connect that trigger to the past traumatic event.

This is different to anxiety, and as such the treatments may also be different.

Psychiatrists such as Bessel Van der Kolk have looked into non conventional ways to treat the impacts of trauma. Treatments such as trauma yoga, Neurofeedback and EMDR have been shown to be effective.

Sometimes it can be hard to access adequate support. A GP or a psychologist may be a good starting point to address the effects of trauma.

The following are additional useful resources:

Authours

Bessel van Der Kolk

https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/

Gabor Mate

https://drgabormate.com/

Books

The body keeps the score Bessel Van Der Kolk

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693771-the-body-keeps-the-score

Any Ordinary Day Leigh Sales

https://www.booktopia.com.au/any-ordinary-day-leigh-sales/book/9781760893637.html