Trauma.
This word has become increasingly more…let’s say, utilized on social media and within every day conversations within the last several years.
In fact, if you’re a regular on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, or (insert your social media of choice here), you have probably come across this word at least once or twice.
It’s becoming increasingly more common to hear people talk about having to “work through” and “deal with” one’s trauma.
If you’re just becoming aware of this for yourself, or just want more information on what trauma is and how you can learn if and how you have trauma, then you’re in the right place.
The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.
Trauma is often used to describe the experience of going through hardship. It is also frequently used when describing an event that involved someone losing their life (or being on the verge of doing so). Hearing about someone being involved in a shooting or a car accident can be described as a traumatic event.
In the reality of people’s lived experiences, there is no one true and set definition that captures the fullness of trauma. This is because to the individual experiencing the event, perception is reality, and what someone perceives as traumatic can vary drastically from person to person.
A more inclusive definition of trauma is: any perceived or imminent physical or psychological threat in which the individual may experience it as life-changing or dangerous.
Why such fancy language?
Let’s get into what makes trauma unique and how it impacts the brain.
When a traumatic event occurs, the person experiences more than just danger or sadness. The brain perceives that danger (key word here is perception– whether or not the event was dangerous to the perpetrator or outsiders is not relevant here) and responds accordingly.
To make this description simple- picture your brain by making a fist with your thumb underneath your top four fingers.
Your wrist represents the brain stem, where all of your basic functionings that keep the body going (hunger, sleep, desire for sex, etc) are controlled.
Your thumb and middle part of your hand represent the limbic system- and this is a part of the brain that responds to fear and danger. It’s known as the limbic system. The limbic system lights up in response to danger and responds accordingly to get the body the hormones needed to enhance the chance of survival.
The top four fingers represent your prefrontal cortex- and that’s where your brain makes rational decisions. All of our higher thinking, planning, and ability to think logically happens in the prefrontal cortex.
What’s interesting is, during an event that your brain perceives as traumatic, that part (the prefrontal cortex) of your brain shuts off completely- and what’s left is the limbic system (the thumb and middle section of your hand) and the brain stem (your wrist, if you’re still following along with the hand model analogy.
When a traumatic event happens, the part of your brain that makes the most rational decisions shuts off, and your body pretty much shifts into survival mode.
Now, you may be wondering, why does any of this matter?
Well, understanding how your brain is impacted by trauma also gives a better understanding of why and how trauma impacts us.
Furthermore, it can give some insight into why there are different types of traumas.
Yep, you read that right, there are even more ways to categorize trauma, but to keep it simple for today, we’re going to talk about 2 commonly used ways to describe trauma-
“Big T” and “Little T” trauma
“Big T” trauma is what we most commonly refer to and understand as trauma. This includes things like experiencing an unexpected death of a close loved one, being involved in a car accident, being physically assaulted, raped, or in a domestic violence situation.
“Big T” trauma will absolutely involve the brain’s reaction to live out of the limbic’s system response to simply survive. This is how we frequently get responses like emotionally numbing to escape pain and dissociation (your mind’s way of leaving the scene to protect yourself from fully experiencing the situation).
“Big T” trauma more often than not leaves a lasting impression. The most common diagnosis after “Big T” traumas is PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a very short, brief synopsis of this diagnosis, it is your brain and body’s response to unprocessed trauma.
“Little t” trauma seems to be the lesser known form of trauma, but it is often the one that people tend to experience on a more frequent basis. “Little t” trauma takes the form of less shocking, more nuanced events- but “little t” traumas can be just as, if not more impactful than their “Big T” counterparts.
When thinking of “Little t” trauma, it can be helpful to think of what didn’t happen as opposed to what did. “Little t” trauma can look like not getting needs met at a young age when it was painfully necessary. It can also look like betrayal, in any relationship, whether it be friendship or a romantic relationship.
It can also look like a child finding it their fault that their parents divorced- and as an extension of their own enmeshment, they find it necessary to take on the emotional baggage and troubles of everyone around them in inappropriate ways.
“Little t” trauma may not be as glaringly obvious as “Big T” trauma in terms of what people might consider to be traumatic. This often leads to people minimizing these experiences and underestimated the lasting effects, but the reality is these experiences often occur on a more regular basis and lead to an accumulation of experiences that impact a person’s sense of self, worth, and value. The results of “Little t” trauma are often internalized negative beliefs about oneself that ultimately dictate whether they feel safe enough to show up in the world and receive good things.
The truth is, majority of society has experienced both. It would be extremely difficult to get through life without any type of trauma, “Big T” or “Little t”. An unfortunate part of our universal experience is that trauma is ubiquitous.
It is more common than you think.
The reality of living in a broken world is that experiencing some type of trauma is inevitable- but it doesn’t have to keep us in our cycles of pain and brokenness.
There are therapeutic modalities that work to correct the wounds that trauma, both “Big T” and “Little T,” have inflicted. My preferred method of treating trauma is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR. If you’re wondering “What the Heck is EMDR?” check out this Blog Post.
There are options for healing.
If you’re interested in hearing more about how you can begin to uncover your traumatic experiences and experience true healing, I would be happy to support you in that process.
We are here to help our clients navigate their trauma, so they can show up in the world as their most authentic forms of themselves. Let us help you start or even continue your healing process.
The Worth, Wisdom and Wellness Center provides Trauma & EMDR therapy, Therapy for Perfectionism and Low Self-esteem, Therapy for Anxiety and Depression, and Faith-Based Therapy to Black women and Women of Color. You don’t have to try to heal from trauma by yourself. We are here to help.
If you are located in the state of Georgia and interested in starting your healing journey, you can follow any of the steps below.
- Contact us to schedule your first appointment and learn more about our services.
- Review our About Us page to learn more about our trauma trained providers.
- Review our FAQs page to learn more about therapy at our center.
We look forward to being a part of your healing journey.