Traumatism as a Medical and Social Problem

no.: La2 co 161A

is geared towards health, behavioral health and integrated care leadership,

staff, and patients/consumers. The information and resources listed here can be easily adapted to other groups and settings such as schools.

of trauma
How do you know if you're traumatized?
Shock, denial, or

disbelief. Confusion, difficulty concentrating. Anger, irritability, mood swings. Anxiety and fear. Guilt, shame, self-blame. Withdrawing from others. Feeling sad or hopeless. Feeling disconnected or numb.

of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally

harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. 

differently. Some individuals may clearly display criteria associated with posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD), but many more individuals will exhibit resilient responses or brief subclinical symptoms or consequences that fall outside of diagnostic criteria. The impact of trauma can be subtle, insidious, or outright destructive. How an event affects an individual depends on many factors, including characteristics of the individual, the type and characteristics of the event(s), developmental processes, the meaning of the trauma, and sociocultural factors.

or complex.
Acute trauma results from a single incident.
Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged such

as domestic violence or abuse.
Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.

two main categories:
Physical trauma - natural factors, independent of man (for

example a car accident or the collapse of a building over people inside, during an earthquake)
mental trauma - caused by factors related to man, but not only.

to single-incident traumas which are unexpected and come out of

the blue. They can be referred to as big T trauma, shock or acute trauma. A condition related to big T trauma or Type 1 trauma is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Examples of type 1 trauma might include:
Severe illness or injury, Violent assault, Sexual assault, Traumatic loss, Mugging or robbery, Being a victim of or witness to violence, Witnessing a terrorist attack, Witnessing a natural disaster, Road accident, Military combat incident, Hospitalization, Psychiatric hospitalization, Childbirth, Medical trauma, Post suicide attempt trauma, Life threatening illness or diagnosis.

experienced as part of childhood or early stages of development.
Repetitive

trauma refers to trauma which has been repeated over a period of time and is often part of an interpersonal relationship where someone might feel trapped emotionally or physically. They may also feel as if they have been coerced or powerless to prevent the trauma.
A condition related to type 2 trauma is Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Examples of type 2 trauma include:
Sibling abuse, Childhood emotional abuse, Domestic violence, Emotional neglect and attachment trauma, Abandonment, Verbal abuse, Coercion, Domestic physical abuse, Long term misdiagnosis of a health problem, Bullying at home at school or in a work setting, Sexual abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical neglect, Overly strict upbringing.

exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, physical arousal,

and blunted affect. Most responses are normal in that they affect most survivors and are socially acceptable, psychologically effective, and self-limited.

to mental health issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),

depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, as well as impacting on their relationships with family, friends, and at work.

traumatic stress reactions and common responses to trauma. Providers need

to understand how trauma can affect treatment presentation, engagement, and the outcome of behavioral health services. 

A trauma-informed approach is defined by SAMHSA as a program, organization,

or system that realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.

the use of medications to manage disruptive trauma reactions. ...
Behavior Therapy.

The most common form of behavior therapy is exposure. ...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. ...
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) ...
Hypnotherapy. ...
Psychodynamic Therapy. ...
Group Therapy.

will have poor physical health outcomes and ignoring trauma can

hinder recovery. To ensure the best possible health outcomes, all care — in all health settings — must address trauma in a safe and sensitive way.