Fresh Insight

Countless definitions of trauma exist in the scientific community.

In terms of its origin, "trauma" originates from the Greek word wound. So, trauma begins with feeling wounded in some way.

Additionally, in the words of Dr. Gabor Maté, a Canadian doctor and great contributor to the field of trauma, trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. So, you're likely to experience changes in how you view yourself, other people, or the world. Your nervous system is also likely to experience changes, often leading to a reduced flexibility to respond to the world.

When we can unpack what happened to us, the meanings we've made about it, and learn to regulate our nervous system—all in the presence of a therapist who is warm and compassionate—healing can begin.

We also recommend assessing the suitability of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment option as this is one of the best treatments for trauma according to the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization.

PTSD develops when a person's natural stress response to a traumatic event becomes "stuck" rather than resolving over time. It's not just the event itself that causes PTSD, but how the body and mind process (or struggle to process) what happened.

The following factors can contribute to whether or not someone develops PTSD:

• The severity and nature of the trauma

• Duration and repetition

• Perceived lack of control or support

• Aftermath of the event (i.e. emotional support, ongoing stress)

Trauma refers to the event or experience itself. It is something distressing or overwhelming that exceeds a person's ability to cope in the moment. It could be a single incident (i.e. a car accident or assault) or repeated exposure to something someone experiences as difficult (i.e. ongoing abuse or neglect). Everyone who experiences trauma is affected in some way, but not everyone develops PTSD.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a diagnosable mental health condition that can develop after experiencing trauma. It involves a specific set of symptoms that persist over time and that can interfere with daily functioning. These typically include intrusive memories and flashbacks, avoidance or reminders of the trauma, negative changes in mood and beliefs, and feeling "on edge."

Someone may experience the following symptoms after experiencing something traumatic:

• Nightmares and/or flashbacks

• Hypervigilance (feeling on edge or on guard frequently)

• Panic attacks

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Chronic pain

• Hopelessness, worthlessness, and/or shame

• Numbness

• Insomnia

• Loss of interest

• Irritability

• Self-destructive behaviours

• Depression

• Decreased concentration

• Addictions

• Emotional overwhelm

For PTSD, symptoms are grouped into four main clusters:

1. Intrusion symptoms: symptoms that involve re-experiencing the traumatic event through distressing memories, dreams, or flashbacks.

2. Avoidance symptoms: avoiding thoughts, feelings, or external reminders associated with the traumatic event.

3. Negative alterations in mood and cognition: persistent negative beliefs about oneself or the world, distorted thoughts about the trauma, diminished interest in activities, feelings of detachment, and/or difficulty experiencing positive emotions.

4. Alterations in arousal and reactivity: irritability, angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behaviour, hypervigilance, problems with concentration, and/or sleep disturbances.

These symptoms must have began or worsened after the trauma and cause significant distress or impairments in social functioning, occupational functioning, and other areas of life.

Note that only psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose mental health conditions in Canada. While Registered Psychotherapists and Social Workers can provide education about this disorder and informal assessments, it is considered outside of their scope of practice to provide a formal diagnosis.

Therapy can be highly effective for treating depression by:

1. Educating you about the impact of trauma and how it affects the brain and body. Many people do not realize that what they're experiencing after trauma is actually a set of common symptoms. Instead, they may tell themselves they're "going crazy" or that there's "something wrong with them." Therapy can help you understand how you've been affected to enhance understanding, facilitate self-compassion, and discuss treatment options from there.

2. Helping you feel safe again. You and your therapist will seek to find patterns with your triggers and develop healthy routines and coping strategies. Additionally, you'll learn provide concrete grounding and stabilization skills so that you feel confident about how to cope when you feel on edge, overwhelmed, or numb.

3. Processing traumatic memories. Once you feel more stable and safe, therapy provides a space for you to unpack and process not just the event(s) itself, but the meaning you've created about it. This can be done through trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), somatic psychotherapy—a body-oriented approach that helps you use your body's inner wisdom to respond to stress more effectively—and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

4. Enhancing resilience. Over time, your nervous system will gain a greater sense of flexibility, allowing you to shift to and from different states with a greater sense of ease and confidence. We'll focus on helping you reconnect with loved ones and the world around you so that you are growing and thriving, not just surviving.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy designed to help people heal from distressing life experiences. The World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association recognize EMDR as one of the most effective treatments for trauma and PTSD. It has also been shown to help with anxiety, grief, phobias, self esteem issues and more.

The basic premise of EMDR is that when something traumatic happens, the brain's natural processing system can become overwhelmed. Instead of being stored as an ordinary memory, the experience gets "stuck." When we are triggered, it's because something in our day-to-day life reminded us of this this painful experience, causing us to re-live it as though it's happening again in the here and now. EMDR helps the brain reorganize these memories so that they're properly integrated into long-term storage rather than being re-lived in the present. Here is a YouTube video that explains more of how the process works and what EMDR looks like.