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Trauma is experienced in many different ways. Soldiers can experience it on the battlefield, healthcare workers in hospitals and emergency rooms, and law enforcement officers when they pull out a gun.
You and I can experience it when we lose a job, get a divorce, lose a loved one, or face a health crisis.
Trauma is an emotional shock following a stressful or deeply disturbing event. As an FBI agent, I worked with colleagues who saw the worst of humankind during their investigations. They were expected to end their day as if nothing disturbing had crossed their path.
Most people eventually bounce back from their trauma, but a few may experience more severe consequences like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These events in life are too disturbing and stressful to leave behind and dismiss as though nothing of significance happened. The events come back as intrusive thoughts about the incident, recurrent anxiety, flashbacks, and avoidance of similar situations.
Trauma is nothing new; it’s woven into the fabric of human history. For centuries, little attention was paid to exploring the possibility of positive outcomes from traumatic experiences. Instead, attention was focused on how to contain the negative consequences of traumatic events.
