{"id":67382,"date":"2022-05-29T13:16:26","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T17:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=67382"},"modified":"2022-06-08T10:45:44","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T14:45:44","slug":"what-qualifies-as-trauma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-qualifies-as-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Wolynn: What Qualifies as Trauma?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What qualifies as trauma? How can you help someone who is suffering from trauma?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people believe that trauma stems from large-scale stressful situations such as kidnappings or participating in a war effort. However, most traumas originate from smaller-scale situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about what qualifies as trauma, the two types of trauma, and how you can help people exhibiting trauma symptoms<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Qualifies as Trauma?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do everyday stresses and complaints qualify as \u201ctrauma\u201d? Are we all traumatized, just to different degrees? In his book It Didn’t Start With You<\/em>, Mark Wolynn discusses the symptoms and sources of trauma. However, he doesn\u2019t answer what defines trauma or put any boundaries around what it includes. Let\u2019s examine others\u2019 views on this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the American Psychiatric Association, trauma is \u201cactual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence\u201d<\/a>\u2014either experienced directly or as a witness. Some argue that this definition rightly circumscribes the definition of trauma<\/a> to include only the most severe and devastating experiences<\/a>. As a result, people are encouraged to distinguish truly catastrophic and life-altering events from those that are merely unpleasant. This reduces a \u201cvictim mentality\u201d that leads people to feel helpless<\/a>. This focused definition can also help people suffering from real trauma get the appropriate support and treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others, however, point out that such a restrictive definition overlooks the deep distress many people endure from non-life-threatening events, such as divorce or unfair accusations of abuse. Instead, they propose that we define trauma between \u201clarge T\u201d and \u201csmall t\u201d trauma<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2 Types of Trauma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Life-threatening events such as kidnappings, acts of terrorism, and serious car collisions would qualify as “large T” traumas. \u201cSmall t\u201d trauma would encompass unpleasant events that are not<\/em> life-threatening but that nevertheless cause some degree of hopelessness and compromise our ability to cope with stress. Examples include infidelity, divorce, and financial strain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although a single \u201csmall t\u201d trauma may not alter someone\u2019s life, many <\/em>\u201csmall t\u201d traumas can accumulate to significantly interfere with someone\u2019s emotional health<\/a>. Those who support differentiating between \u201csmall t\u201d and \u201clarge T\u201d trauma say this distinction helpfully acknowledges the very real consequences that stem from stress and overwhelm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of how trauma is defined, it\u2019s important to note that not all catastrophic or unpleasant events affect people the same way. For example, one person may be deeply traumatized by a natural disaster whereas another may emerge from the same experience relatively unaffected. How a person responds depends on a number of factors, including their beliefs, expectations, past experiences, and the level of support in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How You Can Support People Suffering From Trauma Symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People with trauma symptoms sometimes freeze up and lose their words. They are simply unable to articulate what they\u2019re feeling or experiencing. This can lead to some difficult interactions with the people in their lives who desperately want to support them. Now that you know what qualifies as trauma, here are some things you can do to offer support<\/a> in these situations, according to trauma experts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n