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Trauma is a word that often conjures images of catastrophic events, war zones, or harrowing experiences. However, trauma is not limited to these extreme scenarios. It's a spectrum of experiences that can affect anyone, regardless of their background or circumstances. Read to learn more about trauma and its potential impact.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is the emotional and psychological response to a distressing or disturbing event. It can manifest in various ways, affecting individuals differently. While many associate trauma with severe experiences like accidents, assaults, or natural disasters, it's essential to understand that trauma exists on a spectrum. It encompasses a wide range of experiences, both big and small, that can have a lasting impact on our mental and emotional well-being. Most people don't even realize they have experienced trauma in their life.
Trauma can come from a variety of experiences, and can happen to anyone at any time. Some common sources of trauma include:
- Witnessing or experiencing violence
- Being involved in or witnessing a serious accident
- Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- Assault
- Natural disasters
- Housing Instability
- Food Insecurity
- Ongoing Poverty
- Divorce or serious break up
- Substance use
- Loss of a loved one, including a pet
- Medical Event
- Discrimination
- War
Who is Impacted by Trauma?
Most people experience some type of trauma at some point in their lives. In fact over two-thirds of children report experiencing a minimum of one traumatic event by the time they reach the age of 16. In adults, 60% of men and 50% of women report experiencing a minimum of one trauma in their lifetime. Trauma can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Some people experience trauma at higher rates than others, such as those from historically marginalized communities.
Trauma is a common experience because we live in a world that presents many challenges in life, such as violence, poverty, and inequality. In addition, we are constantly exposed to traumatic images through media use. These factors create a hostile environment that can lead to trauma in anyone. Continue reading the full blog on our website.
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