Simple trauma includes experiences of being in car accidents, house fires, bushfires, earthquakes and cyclones for instance. Experiencing one traumatic event will increase a person's likelihood of experiencing another traumatic event.
But repetitive, nearly constant apologies for every little thing—or, what Psychologist Paige Carambio, PsyD calls, “apologizing for existing”—can actually be an after-effect of trauma, a self-preservation technique survivors may think they still need to utilize in order to protect themselves.
Intrusive memories
Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event. Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks) Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event. Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event.
Acute trauma can include a car accident or a natural disaster. Chronic trauma is repeated exposure to a dangerous or stressful event, such as bullying or domestic violence. Complex trauma is repeated exposure to events that cause severe distress or fear such as sexual abuse, torture, or chronic abandonment.
Emotional trauma is the end result of events or experiences that leave us feeling deeply unsafe and often helpless. It can result from a single event or be part of an ongoing experience, such as chronic abuse, bullying, discrimination or humiliation.
The responses are usually referred to as the 4Fs – Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn and have evolved as a survival mechanism to help us react quickly to life-threatening situations.
Examples include domestic violence, concentration camps, cults, organized sexual exploitation and even childhood abuse.
A term coined by Dr. Lenore Terr to characterize multiple, long-standing or repeated exposure to traumatic events; associated with broader psychological consequences and coping deficits.
Little t trauma refers to events that typically don't involve violence or disaster, but do create significant distress. For young adults, examples of small trauma might be a breakup, the death of a pet, losing a job, getting bullied, or being rejected by a friend group.
However, there are some forms of broken bones, cracks, and bruises that are considered minor traumas. Minor injuries cover breaks and cracks of arms, wrists, legs, ankles, and even knees. Lacerations, cuts, scrapes, and open wounds – this happens when your skin breaks during an accident.
Big T Trauma is a reaction to a deeply disturbing, life-threatening event or situation. That's why we usually think of extreme events when we think of trauma—for example, war, natural disasters, violent crimes, a school shooting, or a serious car accident. In addition, the death of a parent can be a big T trauma.
Traumatic experiences can initiate strong emotions and physical reactions that can persist long after the event. Children may feel terror, helplessness, or fear, as well as physiological reactions such as heart pounding, vomiting, or loss of bowel or bladder control.
“Child trauma” refers to a scary, dangerous, violent, or life threatening event that happens to a child (0-18 years of age).
Psychological, or emotional trauma, is damage or injury to the psyche after living through an extremely frightening or distressing event and may result in challenges in functioning or coping normally after the event.
Initial reactions to trauma can include exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, physical arousal, and blunted affect. Most responses are normal in that they affect most survivors and are socially acceptable, psychologically effective, and self-limited.
Feeling overwhelming sadness, stress, or having altered eating or sleeping patterns are not uncommon in people who express feeling broken. Some people report feeling physical symptoms, such as body aches and digestive issues. Feelings of guilt, shame, or difficulty concentrating are also signs of emotional strain.