Emotional Trauma

"Mystics and madmen swim in the same water. One drowns and the other is re-born"

- Joseph Campbell

 

 

Wounds are hurtful things we sustain; often given out accidentally or subconsciously, sometimes deliberately.

They can come from strangers, but often the most serious are at the hands those who love us most.

 

"Life is full of pain and suffering and sorrow, and it is over too quickly" Woody Allen

 

 

 

What is emotional trauma?

• feeling of powelessness
• helplessness in the face of overwhelming force
  • nature
  • atrocities
    • some kids of holocaust survivors appear to have PTSD (check)
  • horrific accidents, including ones that affect community rather than individual

trauma overwhelm ordinary systems that give people a sense of control, connection, and meaning. Traumatic events are extraordinary not because of their rarity by because they overwhelm our adaptive capacity.

 

Thoughts from Dr Ravi Bains:

Everyone is traumatized, leading to pain. We need an outlet for this pain, and when we are young, our parents need to allow this release. Kids get enraged and need to feel safe to experience it.

If rage is not expressed properly, or is suppressed, guilt and grief can emerge.

This can lead to avoided feelings and soon-emerging symptoms.

Defenses can soon be built to provide protection, sometimes leading to "isolation of affect."

 

 

Isolation is perhaps the worst thing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the response to trauma?

people respond first with disbelief, then shock.

Shock protects - it is so often a good thing.

• People then begin to act out
• grasp for reasons

fixation

• people can think and talk about the event again and again in great detail

compulsions

 

closed emotive pathways

• denial
• anger
• avoidance

Need to acknowledge trauma, then integrate it into life

Talk about it with friends, colleagues, etc to learn why an event affected me so much. What do we have in us?

what comes up?

can't deal with it right away...suppression of affect - until shift is over. find peer group to talk, go for a walk, etc

 

it is toughest to work with people's stories are our stories

 

 

Vicarious Trauma

people who don't directly experience trauma but are connected to it - neighbours, health care workers, etc.

Important

 

Emotional resiliency

Pre-event emotional health is very important

A consistent support system at the time of trauma facilitates integration of the event.

 

 

 

Freud and Trauma

Freud found most people with "hysteria" had been molested. This leads to "double consciousness"

 

Anxiety and Trauma

"inhibitions, symptoms, and anxiety" (1926)

anxiety makes choices worse - don't go buy a car if you are traumatized

he says trauma leads to emotional contamination, and this makes people make mistakes.

 

What can we do about Emotional Trauma?

following an acute trauma, presence is the best thing for survivors. Don't necessarily try to do anything or fix everything, just be there through the experience.

Listen carefully to people's stories to help them integrate the stories into their lives. Don't dismiss or ignore.

 

 

 

oppressive wounds Usually given by someone's unhealthy unconscious don't be or exist don't be you don't be close don't trust don't trust men/women don't feel, don't feel what you feel, don't express feelings, don't express certain feelings don't succeed don't be a child don't be an adult don't be well or sane don't belong don't anything else

punitive wounds Sustained following anger, the result of someone else's wounds I hate you you are worthless you are not good enough for me

early realizations/decisions These begin to be laid down within the first months of life I'm not loved I need to impress them somehow to earn love I'm alone I need to earn love by being sick

They can lead us to adopt unhealthy roles and states. We will continue to seek having our needs met, but our brokeness can lead to unbalanced, destructive interactions.

 

As these events continue for an extended time, we gather up chronic anger, unforgiveness, anxiety, depression. These can lead to serious disorder such as mania, or psychosis.

 

 

Unhealthy Lenses

 

Similar to TA's life scripts.