Trauma Knows No Boundaries

People of various ages and socioeconomic backgrounds experience trauma. Terror, great dread, horror, helplessness, and bodily stress reactions are all possible responses to such occurrences. The emotional toll of such occurrences might linger long after the fact. Some traumatic occurrences, however, are life-altering experiences that can alter the perspectives of both children and adults. It may take weeks, months, or even years after the traumatic experience for the effects to become apparent.

There is a serious problem with the health of individuals, families, and communities due to psychological trauma, which is a huge public health concern. Every country's health care and social service systems shoulder a disproportionate share of the load when dealing with trauma. The effects of trauma extend beyond the realm of mental health to affect primary/physical, mental, and even spiritual well-being.

There is a critical need for all health care and human service providers to have a foundational knowledge of trauma, the ability to detect the signs of trauma, and an appreciation for their role in assisting with recovery, given the profound impact that trauma may have on health outcomes.

Trauma-informed care improves the quality of health care, human services, and most crucially, the lives of those who receive these services.

As a result of the widespread nature of trauma, it is reasonable for care providers to presume that many of the persons they serve have been impacted by trauma in some manner. Too frequently, service providers don't realize that trauma is at the heart of many of the public health and social problems that plague our society.

Every aspect of a person's life, from parenting to working to socializing to keeping appointments, and every connection imaginable, can be impacted by trauma from the moment it occurs. It's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of people who go through terrible experiences never end up with PTSD.

Poor mental and physical health, despair, and anxiety, however, can become a significant issue for many people.

There is a danger of re-traumatization for people who have suffered trauma in every situation where they get social or medical treatment. Services may not be able to provide optimal treatment and intervention if they lack the information necessary to fully comprehend the effects of trauma.

A person who has undergone trauma may feel confused, unsupported, and even blamed if they undergo retraumatization. It can also keep going in a negative loop that stunts recovery and development. Knowing the basics and taking into account trauma-informed language and behaviors might help avoid this.

Everyone experiences trauma at some point in their lives; it's inevitable. The world is a dangerous place full of potential dangers such as accidents, natural catastrophes, wars, family disputes, sexual exploitation, child abuse and neglect, and challenging socioeconomic circumstances.

The social environment, genetic predisposition, and protective factors present at any one moment all have a role in how an individual reacts to adversity.

The Trauma Certification Program at the Global Grief Institute delves deeply into these topics to help the Trauma Coach to determine the best ways for health and social services to become trauma-informed, establish policies, and promote interactions with clients that promote healing and development.