Recovery from Trauma
Following single event traumas such as an environmental disaster, a car accident, being a victim of crime, or birth trauma, a person is often left with questions about safety and control in their life. The range of stressors experienced after traumatic events are normal responses to an extraordinary event. Often the passage of time, combined with support from trusted family and/or friends can be sufficient to overcome the effects of a single event trauma and move on.
Sometimes people find it helpful to talk about what has happened to them and its emotional and psychological impact in counselling sessions. A person’s capacity to recover, however, may be complicated by a lack of access to a reliable support network, low resilience and capacity to draw on inner resources, and whether or not they have a history of unresolved past trauma. All of these things may exacerbate the impact of a single event trauma and can lead to the development of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and/or the re-triggering of past trauma in which case psychotherapy may be beneficial.
Repeated and prolonged trauma experienced in childhood and/or adulthood has a significant impact on a person’s feelings, thoughts, beliefs, how they perceive themself and the world, and on their ability to trust others and set healthy boundaries in relationships. Such trauma is often referred to as Complex Trauma. Complex trauma does not respect age, race, social class or sexual orientation. It also does not respect gender however it is important to emphasise research shows the vast majority of interpersonal trauma is gendered, with most perpetrators being male. It can be experienced alongside PTSD and may be a result of childhood abuse (sexual, physical, emotional) and/or childhood neglect, exposure to domestic and family violence (including coercive control), and war-related trauma (war veterans, refugees).
If you are struggling with the long-term effects of such trauma, you may find psychotherapy a useful way of addressing the same.
