The world is still unaware of the impact Trauma can have on a person, and how each persons absorption of the events with vary.

By absorption what Alison means is, not everyone will experience the SAME traumatic event, in the SAME way.

The world lacks vital information about what trauma really is and is not.

Yet, more and more with awareness, research, science and data studies, the world is opening up to a greater understanding of what the word means and is collectively cultivating compassion for the varying degrees of the impact on an individual.

“The word trauma comes from the Greek trauma (τραύμα) meaning trauma wound, alteration of trōma; akin to Greek titrōskein = to wound, tetrainein = to pierce”

The word “trauma” often sends a shiver down peoples' spines when hearing someone’s story.

TRAUMA can occur when:

There is too much too soon

There is too much for too long

There is not enough for too long

Power and agency have been taken away from the person or collective

The stressors outweigh the resources available to navigate them

When our primal protective instincts, intuitions, and responses are thwarted

There is not enough time, space, or permission to heal

It is essential as a practitioner, supporting clients, that social, developmental, and cultural factors are considered when reflecting on a client’s trauma history.

What flashes through most minds, are perhaps images that bring fear, confusion and darkness, leading to denial or avoidance of discussing the topic.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, better known as the DSM (now in its 5th edition), is a manual used by mental health practitioners to diagnose behavioural conditions defines trauma as:

exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways: directly experiencing the traumatic event(s);

*witnessing, in person, the traumatic event(s) as it occurred to others;

*learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend (in case of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s)

*must have been violent or accidental); or experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s).

The DSM-V has done a good job expanding its breadth of the diagnosis to include vicarious exposure, however, there are some major limitations to the definition because one does not need to experience actual or threatened death, sexual violence or serious injury to perceive and experience an event as traumatic.

That is why the term "psychological trauma" has been used in more recent years to define any kind of experience where one has felt they were in danger, physically or emotionally, leaving lasting negative effects on the individuals mental, physical, social or emotional wellbeing, even financial wellbeing. (SAMSHA 2012).

When discussing psychological trauma, it is important to clarify the two different kinds of childhood trauma (ACES).

The trauma of Acts of Commission, leaves the person feeling terrified and helpless in the face of fear. These include verbal, physical or sexual abuse that causes harm or even poses a threat to harm.