So what is a trauma these days?
How many times have you heard people say at a dinner, "thank goodness they only took her purse" or "he says he was affected badly by the army but that is history". Sadly while this may be true, it is no less traumatising to be involved in a process beyond our control than it is to be involved in the current spate of serious and violent crime. Traumas and their associated pain are not comparable. Each person's experience of a trauma is different and is very real to them. In fact trauma can be defined as "an event that a person experiences, witnesses or is confronted with which happens outside the range of normal human experience". This means that an event can be traumatic even if you just hear about it. More often though trauma involves direct experience of physical and/or emotional injury and the threat or actuality of death. Rape, army experiences, hijacking, suicide, the perpetration of torture, armed robbery, assault, a car accident and natural disasters such as floods or fires are all considered to be traumatic.
What happens to you, your spouse or your friend after a trauma?
After a trauma the body and mind reacts with powerful feelings and thoughts. We become fearful, numb, angry, sometimes aggressive, jumpy, overly-alert, withdrawn and tearful. Our bodies may ache, we get head and neck pain, children may get stomach aches and may refuse to go to school. We get irritable with those we love most and generally we find it difficult to be around others and them around us. Adults and children alike may experience flashbacks and/or nightmares - even our sleep is disrupted. Our waking state is often disrupted too. We may not be able to concentrate or work at all. Our minds and bodies are in shock. These physical and emotional symptoms are experienced vividly and without abating. In books the collection of these symptoms are labelled Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. In day to day living it is unbearable and when left unattended can often result in depression.
How can trauma debriefing help?
Trained trauma debriefers offer individuals and families a safe opportunity to talk about their thoughts and feelings after the traumatising event. This is different to talking to friends and family as the debriefers are trained to work with the client in such a way that they are able to "purge" themselves of the event. Clients can talk freely about feelings of isolation, fearfulness, guilt or even the desire for revenge. Where possible, the debriefers will help clients to find meaning in the event and make sense of what has happened to them. With debriefing, clients are able to see that their feelings are normal and the situation abnormal. Talking to a trained debriefer really can help and usually only requires three or four sessions before marked changes are seen in the individual concerned.
Dr. Pam
Clinical Psychologist
| Back to P.T.S.D. Index Page. |
| To contact the WebMaster, click here. | Home | Sitemap |
Copyright © 2001 Dr. Pam AND OpsMedic. All rights reserved.