What is Trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that
occurs as a result of a traumatic event. A traumatic event can involve a
single experience, or an ongoing series of events. In many cases trauma
will actually cause physical changes to the brain chemistry and thus hinder
a person’s ability to adequately cope with stress and manage their
emotional reactions. Trauma can be encoded or trapped at a cellular level
and can cause a person to overreact to situations. This sense of being
overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years, or even decades, as the person
struggles to cope with their immediate circumstances. Psychological trauma
may be accompanied by physical trauma or exist independently of it. Typical
causes of psychological trauma are sexual abuse, violence, and or the
threat of either, particularly in childhood. Long-term exposure to verbal
abuse can be as traumatic as a single traumatic event.
Symptoms of Trauma
People who experience trauma often develop certain symptoms.
How severe these symptoms are depends on the person, the type of trauma
involved, and the emotional support they receive from others around them.
Reactions to and symptoms of trauma can be wide and varied, and differ in
severity from person to person. Many people turn to alcohol, drugs and or
other self-destructive mechanisms to cope with the symptoms of their
trauma. Re-experiencing symptoms are a sign that the body and mind are
actively struggling to cope with the traumatic experience. Memory of the
traumatic experience may become accessible only via the associated
emotions: factual memories that place the event in temporal and spatial
context may not be accessible. This can lead to the traumatic events being
constantly experienced as if they were happening in the present, preventing
the subject from gaining perspective on the experience. Emotional
detachment, as well as dissociation can frequently occur when this happens.
Over time, emotional exhaustion may set in, leading to distraction, and a
lack of clear thinking. Some traumatized people may feel permanently
damaged when trauma symptoms don't go away. This can lead to feelings of
despair, loss of self-esteem, and frequently depression.
What is Abuse?
There are several types of abuse: Physical, Psychological,
Spiritual and Sexual including childhood sexual abuse.
1: Physical abuse is abuse involving
contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury, or other
physical suffering or harm. Basic forms include: striking, punching,
pushing, pulling, slapping, and striking with an object and or negligence
2: Psychological abuse, also referred to as
emotional abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or
exposing another to behavior that is psychologically harmful. This type of
abuse involves the willful infliction of mental or emotional anguish by
threat, humiliation, or other verbal and non-verbal conduct. It is often
associated with situations of a power imbalance, such as abusive
relationships and child abuse. Psychological abuse may occur in groups,
such as with bullying, or it may be by one partner in a relationship. In
domestic abuse, psychological abuse nearly always precedes, and often
accompanies, physical violence.
3: Spiritual abuse occurs when a person in
religious authority misleads or maltreats another person in the name of God
or church. Spiritual abuse often refers to an abuser using spiritual or
religious rank in taking advantage of the victim's spirituality by putting
the victim in a state of unquestioning obedience to an abusive authority.
This abuse can take many forms and may include any of the following
situations; Submission to spiritual authority without any right to
disagree. Unreasonable control of a person's basic right to make a choice on
spiritual matters. Isolation or separation from family and friends due to
ones religious affiliation. In many cases spiritual abuse can coincide with
physical and or sexual abuse.
4: Sexual abuse is the forcing of
undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. The term also covers
behavior by any adult towards a child to stimulate either the adult or
child sexually. When the victim is younger than the age of consent, it is
referred to as child sexual abuse. There are many types of sexual abuse,
including, non-consensual forced physical sexual behavior such as rape or
sexual assault such as sexual kissing, fondling, exposure of genitalia, and
voyeurism.
5: Childhood sexual abuse is a form of
child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an
adult or older adolescent. In addition to direct sexual contact, child
sexual abuse can occur when an adult exposes a child to pornography or
masturbation or pressures a child to engage in sexual activities. It may
also include making sexually suggestive statements towards a child or the
use of a position of trust to compel otherwise unwanted sexual activity
without physical force. Effects of child sexual abuse can be far reaching
for adult survivor, including feeling of shame, self-blame, and guilt. Many
survivors develop sexual dysfunction, addictions, depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, anxiety, or other mental illnesses including borderline
personality disorder and dissociate identity disorder. Sexual abuse by a
family member is incest, and can result in more serious and long-term
problems for the survivor and the family members.
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