What is Trauma?
Trauma is a psychological response to an event or series of events that overwhelm an individual's ability to cope or process the experience. It disrupts one’s sense of safety, security, and identity, leaving lasting emotional, cognitive, and physical effects. Trauma often leads to feelings of helplessness, anxiety, confusion, and a loss of control. While trauma is commonly associated with life-threatening events like accidents, violence, or natural disasters, it can also arise from less overtly dangerous experiences. The distinction between acute trauma and chronic trauma helps to clarify the different ways trauma can present and impact individuals.
Acute Trauma refers to sudden, life-altering events, such as a car accident, a natural disaster, sexual assault, or the unexpected loss of a loved one. These events often have a profound, immediate impact on an individual’s emotional and psychological health. The emotional response to acute trauma can include overwhelming fear, anger, grief, and a deep sense of powerlessness. Symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors are common, and the emotional aftermath may involve struggles with anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress.
In contrast, Chronic Trauma refers to ongoing or repeated exposure to stressful or harmful events over an extended period of time. This could include experiences like emotional or physical neglect, living in an abusive relationship, ongoing bullying, or living with chronic illness or financial instability. Although chronic trauma may not trigger the same immediate and intense reactions as acute trauma, its cumulative effects can be just as significant. Individuals experiencing chronic trauma may feel persistent anxiety, shame, low self-worth, or an ongoing sense of helplessness. Over time, chronic trauma can lead to emotional numbness, difficulty trusting others, and struggles with regulating emotions.
Understanding the differences between acute and chronic trauma allows for a more individualized approach to healing. Both types of trauma can have deep emotional and psychological effects, and regardless of the nature of the experience, all forms of trauma are valid and worthy of care and healing.
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It is characterized by intrusive memories, heightened emotional and physiological responses, negative shifts in mood and beliefs, and avoidance of trauma-related reminders.
While it is normal to have stress reactions following a traumatic event, PTSD is diagnosed when these symptoms persist for more than a month and interfere with daily functioning. Without treatment, PTSD can have long-term effects on emotional well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life. More than 28% of adults exposed to trauma will exhibit symptoms of PTSD one month after the traumatic event; 17% will continue to meet criteria one year later. PTSD can also cause difficulty with social roles, including parenting. Without treatment, PTSD symptoms may take many years to remit if they go away at all.
Signs & Symptoms of Trauma:
Trauma affects everyone differently, but common signs and symptoms may include:
Emotional Responses:
Anxiety, fear, or heightened stress.
Sadness, depression, or feelings of numbness.
Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected from others.
Cognitive Responses:
Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks related to the traumatic event.
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
Memory problems, including gaps in recalling the event.
Physical Symptoms:
Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or nightmares.
Fatigue or low energy, even after adequate rest.
Tension, headaches, or unexplained aches and pains.
Behavioral Responses:
Avoidance of people, places, or situations that trigger memories of the trauma.
Difficulty trusting others or feeling unsafe in everyday situations.
Increased irritability, anger, or mood swings.
These responses are normal in the aftermath of trauma, but when they persist, they can impact daily life and relationships. At BASE, we help individuals understand and manage these symptoms, guiding them on their path to recovery.
What does Trauma treatment look like?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories. Through a structured approach, EMDR uses guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional charge. This allows individuals to reframe the way they think and feel about the trauma, promoting healing and emotional resilience. EMDR supports individuals in moving past the emotional hold of traumatic experiences and helps clients recreate a sense of safety within their present lives.
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT):
TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment approach to support children and adolescents (ages 3-17 years) following traumatic experience(s). Treatment begins by providing information about trauma responses and building coping and emotion regulation skills. Once skills have been acquired and practiced, the focus of treatment shifts to creating a story or narrative of the child’s experiences. Creating a trauma narrative encourages children to approach–rather than avoid–reminders of and reactions to the trauma, which allows them to process their experiences and ultimately reduces trauma-related symptoms.
Cognitive Processing Theory (CPT):
CPT is an evidence-based treatment that helps individuals understand and change the way they think about their trauma. PTSD can sometimes develop when a person becomes stuck in patterns of avoidance or negative beliefs about themselves and the world after a traumatic event. Instead of naturally recovering over time, these patterns can reinforce feelings of fear, guilt, or helplessness.
CPT works by helping individuals recognize how their thoughts and emotions are connected to their trauma. As part of therapy, clients write an Impact Statement, which explores how the traumatic event has shaped their beliefs about safety, trust, control, self-worth, and relationships. By identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, clients can work to shift these thoughts in a healthier direction. Through structured sessions, CPT helps individuals process their trauma, reduce its emotional impact, and develop healthier cognitive and emotional patterns.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
ACT is a mindfulness based therapy that emerged from the foundations of CBT. ACT approaches trauma treatment from a few different perspectives, starting with engaging with mindful awareness of thoughts and physical sensations, and then moving toward values-based decision-making. ACT utilizes the assumption that efforts to escape or avoid pain often amplify the pain experience, and develop into part of the overall problem. ACT engages with acceptance of reactions and facilitates movement away from controlling thoughts, feelings, memories, and bodily sensations. Through the process of acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based decisions, clients are able to focus their efforts on effective behaviors and committed actions.
Ready to take on your PTSD/trauma history with BASE? Complete the New Client Information Form to get started!
