Over the past few years, there’s been a growing trend of openness and awareness of the importance of Mental Health. It’s more common to hear people talking about therapy and the positive impact it’s had on helping people heal and grow. One area that’s gaining attention in the media and with the general population is the positive impact that therapy can have on helping people heal past traumas. No longer do people have to feel stuck with living with their traumas. People are starting to realize there’s hope.
Do you know what the word trauma really means? How would you define Trauma? One way to define trauma is to see it as a strong emotional reaction to an incident/situation or an adverse emotional response to repeated exposure to a disturbing circumstance.
When most people hear the word trauma they think of tragic events like war, sexual abuse, natural disasters and catastrophic events. While these are profoundly difficult situations and mostly define big “T” trauma’s it’s important to recognize that little “t” traumas can have a significant impact as well. A little “t” trauma can be thought of as an event or situation that triggers a strong emotional response. This emotional response can exceed someone’s ability to cope effectively and can negatively impact functioning. One thing that differentiates small “t” traumas from big “T” traumas is that they are not inherently life threatening like big “T” traumas. These types of traumas can lead to feelings of helplessness and overwhelm and often involve repetitive exposure to the situation or event. Some examples of small “t” traumas include: relationship issues or divorce, infidelity, growing up in a verbally abusive household, persistent financial strain, etc. It’s common for these types of traumas to be overlooked or minimized due to frequency of exposure or in an attempt to rationalize the emotional impact they have on someone’s functioning. However, these types of traumas can have a cumulative effect and lead to increased emotional distress, which when left unaddressed can create other issues in peoples lives.
Big “T” traumas are different, in that, they often related to a singular extraordinary event that impacts feelings of powerlessness, threatens one’s sense of safety. Examples include, natural disasters, combat, a severe car accident, etc. Again, helplessness is another key emotional response to these types of traumas.
Regardless of whether someone experiences a large “T” trauma or a small “t” trauma it’s important to understand and seek support from an experienced therapist. Not all therapists are trained in therapeutic models that have been shown to effectively treat and resolve the symptoms of trauma, so it’s important to talk to a potential therapist about their background and training. One well researched and evidence-based model trauma model that I’m trained in is called EMDR. If you’re interested in learning more about how therapy or EMDR might help address the impact that trauma is having on your life, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to talk with you about how therapy and working together might help.