What is trauma?

Trauma is any event or situation that overwhelms you, and causes you too emotionally and physically feel unsafe

Most of us experience trauma at some point in our life. Though the word “trauma” is often associated with death, natural disasters, abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, divorce, betrayal, or war, it can also refer to less obvious experiences, too. These smaller traumas are called micro-traumas, and they accumulate over the years such as ongoing verbal or emotional abuse, constant relocating, switching jobs or moving to new places, or relationship or interpersonal conflicts. 

Whether the trauma comes from one event or many, the body can store them. This means that you may carry emotional trauma with you. For example, if you have ever cried during massage therapy or acupuncture, this is probably repressed pain being released from your body.

If you have experienced trauma, it’s normal to feel on guard and afraid it will happen again. Most people think that trauma is a brain thing or you can “talk” yourself through trauma. However, this is not true. The body and nervous system also house the trauma. Our mind, brain, body, and soul are all connected. The body and brain become emotionally disregulated = out of balance and easily triggered. 

If you have trauma, you have to do body work and change the way your body reacts after trauma. Interventions are needed to override the lessons the body and nervous system learned during trauma.

It is important to note there are different types of trauma, such as complex trauma, racial trauma, chronic trauma, and acute trauma.

With love,

Ketam