Understanding the Different Forms of Trauma
There are various kinds of trauma that can affect individuals throughout their lives. While many people associate psychological trauma with a single event that causes immense harm or distress, it can also take on emotional or psychological forms.
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase something. By using the affiliate links, you are helping support the Lost Soul Motivation community and I genuinely appreciate your support.
A few typical indications of trauma include:
- Hypervigilance
- Nightmares about the event
- Perceiving the world as a perilous place and feeling unable to trust anyone.
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
- Avoidance of people, places, things, or situations that remind you of the event
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories of the traumatic event
- Depression
- Feeling numb or disconnected from others
- Difficulty sleeping
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
- Agitation
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Self-harming behaviors
- Dissociation
- Chronic pain
- Angry outbursts
- Feeling unable to experience pleasure
- Substance abuse
Although many people are familiar with the idea of trauma, a significant number remain unaware of the various types of trauma that exist. Typically, trauma can be classified as acute, chronic, or complex.
1. Complex trauma
Complex trauma is a form of stress that resembles generational trauma and can arise from multiple, prolonged or chronic exposure to traumatic events. This type of trauma can affect individuals of any age, but those who have experienced abuse or neglect in childhood are more likely to experience complex traumas such as abandonment trauma.
Complex trauma can have a lasting impact on both physical and mental health, and it can make it difficult for individuals to form and maintain healthy relationships, leading to social isolation and other challenges.
Examples of complex trauma
Repeated and prolonged exposure to traumatic events can lead to complex trauma, which can negatively affect an individual’s mental and physical health. Some causes of complex trauma include:
- Repeated exposure to traumatic events
- Prolonged exposure to traumatic events
- Chronic abuse, neglect or victimization
- Interpersonal violence and trauma
- Ongoing domestic violence or abuse
- Forced captivity or imprisonment
- Exposure to natural disasters or other catastrophic events
- Exposure to war or conflict zones
- Growing up in an environment of poverty, substance abuse or chronic instability.
2. Acute trauma
Psychological trauma that results from a single, intensely stressful incident is known as acute trauma. It can arise from experiencing a natural calamity, encountering a severe car crash, or witnessing acts of violence. Inadequate treatment of acute trauma may result in long-term mental health issues.
Examples of acute trauma
Acute trauma can arise when you face a life-threatening situation or experience violence or witness a traumatic event happening to someone else.
The aftermath of this kind of trauma may lead to acute stress disorder (ASD), a mental health condition that usually manifests within 3 days of the traumatizing incident and can last for up to a month.
3. Chronic trauma
Chronic trauma is a response to ongoing or repeated traumatic experiences. It differs from acute trauma in this sense, as acute trauma occurs after just one traumatic experience or event.
Examples of chronic trauma
Chronic trauma can result from any of the following:
- Sexual abuse: Sexual abusers prey on individuals who are vulnerable to them. They may hold power over their victims, which makes it easier to pressure or coerce them into sexual acts. Victims of sexual abuse often experience flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can persist long after the initial incident.
- Physical abuse: The use of force by physical abusers to dominate their victims is commonplace. They may strike, kick, strangle, or hurl objects at their victims, among other things. Physical abusers often resort to threats, fear, and intimidation to exert control over their victims.
- Poverty: Growing up in poverty can result in chronic trauma. Children who are raised below the poverty line are more likely to be exposed to violence, witness drug use, and experience inadequate access to food or shelter. This can have lasting effects such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological issues.
- Domestic violence: Chronic trauma can arise from domestic violence, which may not always be physical in nature. Mental and emotional torment can be just as incapacitating. Domestic violence targets all aspects of a person’s life to exercise control over them, resulting in enduring scars that can be difficult to cope with long after the abuse has ended.
- Emotional abuse: By constantly belittling their victims or making them feel bad about themselves, emotional abusers attempt to erode their self-esteem.
Trauma can take many different forms and can result from a wide variety of events or circumstances. Acute trauma can occur in response to a single, highly stressful event, while chronic trauma can result from prolonged exposure to trauma or abuse. Complex trauma, on the other hand, can occur as a result of repeated and prolonged exposure to traumatic events, and it can have long-lasting effects on an individual’s physical and mental health. Additionally, various forms of trauma, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and growing up in poverty can all cause different types of trauma. It’s important to recognize the different forms of trauma and seek help when needed to begin the healing process.