Bessel VanDerKolk, who is a world renowned trauma expert. He describes trauma as an event that causes you to organize your life as if the trauma is still going on. He goes on to say that trauma includes an inability to fight or escape, which then becomes someone's conditioned response to threat.
COVID-19 - A Collective Global Trauma
Most recently, we've all experienced a collective global trauma from COVID. We have already seen a lot of data that suggests a significant increase in anxiety and depression and other aggravated mental health conditions.
Trauma Doesn’t Look The Same For Everyone
Here's what I tell clients. It's an event that was too much too soon and, or too fast. It's the human condition. Every one of us has experienced something in their lives that fall under the definition of trauma. There are many factors that make an event traumatic, which is why, what might be trauma for me is not going to be trauma for you.
Trauma is Treatable
The good news is that trauma and trauma treatment have both been heavily researched and have resulted in several great treatments for trauma. There's freedom from being stuck, reactive and afraid. Like there's a tornado living in your brain all the time.
How do I say that with such confidence? Because I've experienced that freedom myself.