May 22, 2011 is the day my life changed forever.
Joplin, Missouri tornado survivor
Today, I want to take a step back to define two of the terms you will encounter on this site: psychological trauma and traumatic events. Today's post will be the first in a series that will explore the range of traumatic events that people experience and the physical, psychological, and emotional responses they have to these events.
Traumatic is a word that you may have heard people use when describing an event that was unpleasant, such as a bad day at work, a difficult exam, an awkward date, or giving a public speech. In the world of trauma survivors, the words traumatic and trauma have precise meanings. Traumatic refers to an event that is so outside of the ordinary life of most people that it is completely overwhelming. Renowned trauma researcher, Judith Herman, eloquently describes the state of psychological trauma in her landmark book, Trauma and Recovery. "Traumatic events overwhelm the ordinary systems of care that give people a sense of control, connection, and meaning. . . . They confront human beings with the extremities of helplessness and terror."
These women are responding to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China. Whatever the women are responding to, whether finding out about the death of loved ones or the loss of homes, has already happened and, as is true of psychological trauma, there is nothing they can do - the harm has already occurred. As Herman writes, "Traumatic reactions occur when action is of no avail."
"Oh my God, it was hell," a Hurricane Katrina survivor told a reporter, about the hurricane that affected thousands of residents of New Orleans. "We were screaming, hollering, flashing lights. It was complete chaos."
An English-speaking man who was in Japan during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, put together this detailed account of how people were feeling immediately afterwards. You can read an interview below with a survivor of the Rwandan genocide of 1994.
Examples of Traumatic Events
- Natural disasters
- Genocide
- Sexual violence
- War-related events
- Combat trauma
- Terrorist attacks
- Torture
- Child abuse
- Domestic violence
- Accidents
- Medical trauma
Common physical, psychological, and emotional reactions to traumatic events include:
- shock
- extreme helplessness
- intense fear
- loss of control
- amnesia and dissociation
- hyperarousal
- numbness
- extreme grief
Another hallmark of many - although certainly not all traumatic events - is that they are sudden, unexpected and may last from mere minutes to only hours.
Length of Selected Traumatic Events
- Bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 approximately one minute
- Joplin, Missouri tornado May 22, 2011 about 38 minutes
- Japanese 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami: several hours
- 9/11 Events in New York City: about 8 hours
- Rwandan genocide, 1994 about 100 days
Joplin, Missouri tornado report
My life changed suddenly too. First, on July 25, 1971 - the day my daughter was born. And, then, on November 12, 1991, the day I nearly died from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Both traumatic events took place over the course of about 10 hours. The aftermath of the loss of my daughter has lasted most of my life. I processed most of the grief, terror, and anger related to the ectopic pregnancy within several years, although I continued to have panic attacks related to the event for nearly a decade. In both cases, my life changed irrevocably within the span of about half a day.
What traumatic events have you experienced that changed your life?
