“Trauma is when we have encountered an out of control, frightening experience that has disconnected us from all sense of resourcefulness or safety or coping or love.”  – Tara Brach, 2011

You may have gone through an experience in your life that has left you with a sense of lingering upsetting emotions, frightening memories, or prolonged heightened anxiety. Or you may feel numb, detached, and unable to trust other people. If you are struggling with any of these symptoms, you may be experiencing trauma.

Trauma is an injury that happens to us or was done to us cruelly—we do not inflict trauma, nor its symptoms, on to ourselves. Every person experiences traumatic events differently. It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic to someone, but the individual’s experience of the event and the meaning they make of it.

All trauma, regardless of the cause, share three common aspects:

• The event was unexpected.
• The person was unprepared.
• There was nothing the person could do to prevent it from happening.

Other factors that can lead to trauma are:

• It happened repeatedly
• Someone was intentionally cruel
• It happened during childhood

The ability to cope with traumatic experiences is hindered by feelings of extreme overwhelm. As a result, the capacity to integrate ideas and emotions is severely diminished. Many people affected by trauma are unable to fully process all they have endured or the countless ways they have been affected. 

Traumatizing events can take a serious emotional toll, even if the event did not cause physical harm. This can have a profound impact on the individual’s identity; in mind, body, and spirit. 

It is important to be aware that trauma can result from such common occurrences as an auto accident, the ending of a significant relationship, a sudden death of a loved one, an unexpected job loss, a serious injury or surgery, or other similar types of situations. There is no way to predict how any given person will react to a particular event. If you find yourself unable to move forward, or are suffering from adverse reminders of the event, you may be suffering from PTSD or Complex PTSD.

If you need to speak to someone, please feel free to call me for a free phone consultation at 510-872-3912.