What is trauma?
Often people think trauma only means a single incident or event trauma that threatens a person's life or safety.
Being involved in a traffic accident, having an illness, going through a divorce, losing a loved one, experiencing war or being exposed to torture or rape are part of the broader term. Trauma cannot be objectively described it is rather about the impact the event has on someones body and mind.
What is developmental trauma?
Developmental trauma is different from a later single incident or event trauma. As it describes, it is trauma that happens in early years which has an extreme effect on the body. It encompasses negative or harmful experiences and/or emotional unmet needs in the family during childhood and teenage years such as
- Physical violence
- Neglect and abandonment
- A parent with a mental health condition, emotionally immature or narcissistic tendencies
- Being subjected to sexual abuse
- A member of the household being in prison
- Growing up in a household where adults experienced drug and alcohol use issues
What about "triggers"?
Fast forward to twenty or thirty years later, if the trauma remains unresolved (or wasn’t resolved at the time) you will likely find yourself re-experiencing the feelings associated with the trauma, particularly when confronted with situations that tend to ‘trigger’ you. Triggers can look like a bodily activation, increase in sensations in the body, emotions and specific thoughts.
Adult life challenges, therefore, become harder to manage and sit on top of developmental trauma, and the consequences will be symptoms.
