Understanding Trauma: Types and Effects

Trauma

Emotional Abuse

• Definition: A pattern of behavior that involves verbal aggression, dominance, and control by one person over another
• Forms:
  • Verbal abuse (criticism, blaming, yelling)
  • Emotional blackmail (threats, guilt-tripping)
  • Isolation (controlling social interactions)
• Effects:
  • Low self-esteem
  • Anxiety, depression
  • Difficulty trusting others
  • Feelings of shame, guilt

Physical Abuse

• Definition: The intentional use of physical force that results in harm or injury
• Forms:
  • Hitting, slapping, pushing
  • Restraint, confinement
  • Inappropriate touching or sexual contact
• Effects:
  • Physical injuries, chronic pain
  • Fear, anxiety, hypervigilance
  • Difficulty with emotional regulation
  • Increased risk of PTSD

Psychological Trauma

• Definition: A response to an event that threatens an individual's sense of safety, identity, or well-being
• Characteristics:
  • Feeling overwhelmed, helpless
  • Disconnection from others, self
  • Altered sense of reality
• Effects:
  • Anxiety, depression
  • Dissociation, flashbacks
  • Avoidance of triggers, memories
  • Difficulty with emotional regulation

Complex Trauma

• Definition: Prolonged, repetitive trauma, often in childhood, that affects emotional regulation, self-concept, and relationships
• Characteristics:
  • Multiple traumatic events
  • Chronic feelings of fear, anxiety
  • Difficulty with emotional regulation, self-soothing
• Effects:
  • Emotional dysregulation
  • Difficulty with intimacy, trust
  • Self-destructive behaviors
  • Increased risk of mental health disorders

Acute Trauma

• Definition: A single, discrete traumatic event (e.g., natural disaster, accident)
• Characteristics:
  • Sudden, unexpected event
  • Feeling of shock, horror
  • Immediate response: fight, flight, freeze
• Effects:
  • Acute stress reaction (ASR)
  • Anxiety, fear, hyperarousal
  • Difficulty with emotional regulation
  • Increased risk of PTSD