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Experiencing Trauma

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Experiencing Trauma

Trauma is often thought of as a life-altering event or something horrible such as a sexual

assault, car accident, natural disaster, or war by some people. When a victim experience one of

these occurrences, they may experience nightmares, flashbacks, extreme stress, and an inability

to cope when confronted with what they perceive to be a potentially dangerous situation. Trauma

has a variety of negative consequences for one's mental and physical health, daily functioning,

interpersonal connections, and overall well-being. In engaging with a new client who is seeking

therapy, it is necessary to consider significant elements.

Trauma's effects on adults and children are similar in that they both cause dysregulation

in the body, psychological difficulties, emotional stress, and cognitive and behavioral disorders.

However, certain distinctions depend on whether a child or an adult experienced the trauma.

Explaining to clients the expectation of the assessment and screening process is vital to their

well-being. Assurance is of importance since patients are able to gain the confidence of the

distress. Therefore, new clients should be notified before the process.

While still a child, they may have recurrent and intrusive thoughts, often visible in their

play, sleep disruptions, which are most common in the first few weeks of life and most

noticeable during their quiet periods. Apart from that, they may suffer from separation anxiety

and a desire not to be away from their loved ones, which can regularly occur among adolescents.

Children may also feel agitated and enraged with family members and friends, having difficulties

communicating with them (Bath 2017). While still in the early phases of growth and

development, a kid may be more exposed to adverse impacts across a wide range of cognitive

and behavioral functions. Therefore, the therapist should be aware of emotional responses when

hearing the children's trauma history.

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When compared to children, adults may better comprehend the trauma they have

endured, whereas children may wonder whether they are to blame and whether they have done

something wrong. Flashbacks in children are rare compared to their adult counterparts; however,

if one does occur, the children may feel as though the experience is being replayed in their mind,

as though they were in a dissociative condition. Children are frequently affected by several

disorders, which may persist or reveal themselves in their adult lives. Once an individual reaches

maturity, they will not realize that a traumatic incident has played a role in their current

problems. The administered written checklist will be vital in such scenarios.

The feelings of intrusive thoughts, memory issues, avoidance of the trauma, and

difficulty with emotions are similar in children and adults, although more children appear to

recover from their traumatic experiences. Children who do not recover often wind up in

unhealthy and abusive relationships as adults or become addicted to drugs and alcohol to cope

with terrible memories. Therefore, providing feedback after assessment helps a child to reunite

with their parents as soon as possible following a traumatic occurrence. Early intervention in

children may assist in avoiding the development of PTSD or other disorders later in life, help a

child cope with stress, and protect them from transgenerational trauma.

Thus, trauma has a wide-ranging and difficult to adapt to effect, leaving a trail of

developmental problems in its wake. Although the occurrence of childhood traumatic events is

high, an abundance of studies and tools are being identified that offer an opportunity for children

to recover, acclimatize, and flourish as they develop. Though intentional mistreatment is unlikely

to disappear anytime soon, individuals can build resilience with the support of those around

them. Individuals can, ideally, continue to develop normally, free of post-trauma repercussions,

in all areas of life provided they are treated effectively.

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Reference

Bath, H. (2017). The trouble with trauma. Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 16(1), 1-

12.