Life experiences can be traumatic. The subjective experience of an event determines whether it is considered traumatic. The symptoms of PTSD and trauma are felt differently by different people. The severity of the symptoms can also differ. Trauma can be experienced in a number of different settings. Trauma can occur in many different situations. The settings could be at home, school, work, in the community, or a warzone. Traumas can be grouped into several different categories.
Type 1 Trauma
Type 1 traumas are those that occur in a single incident and are unplanned. These can also be called big T traumas, shocks or acute traumas. Post traumatic stress disorder is a condition that can be related to Type 1 or big T trauma. For Trauma informed practice training, visit https://www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training
Type 1 trauma can include:
- Severe illness or injury
- Violent assault
- Sexual assault
- Traumatic loss
- Robbery or mugging
- Victim or witness of violence
- Witnessing a terror attack
- Seeing a natural catastrophe
- Road accident
- Military combat incident
- Hospitalisation
- Childbirth
- Medical trauma
- Post-suicide attempt trauma
- Diagnosed with a life-threatening illness
Type 2 Trauma
The traumas of type 2 are likely to occur repeatedly and over a long period of time. These traumas can be experienced in an interpersonal relationship, or as a result of a childhood attachment to a person. You may feel physically or emotionally trapped and this is more likely to be related to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Type 2 trauma can be categorised as follows:
- Sibling abuse
- Child emotional abuse
- Domestic violence
- Attachment trauma and emotional neglect
- Abandonment
- The use of abusive language
- Coercion
- Domestic violence
- Misdiagnosis for a long time of a medical problem
- Bullying in the workplace, at home or at school
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Physical neglect
- Strict religious upbringing
History, collective or intergenerational trauma
The holocaust, experienced by the Jewish people during World War 2, is the most notable example of intergenerational collective trauma. Historical trauma affects communities and groups in physical, emotional and psychological ways. Families, groups, and communities can pass on adaptive coping patterns to future generations.
- Racism
- Slavery
- Forcible removal of a family member or a community
- Genocide
- War
Vicarious or secondary trauma
A person can experience this type of trauma when they speak to someone who has personally experienced trauma. This can cause secondary trauma in the listener, who may also experience the symptoms of the traumatised person.
Little (t) Trauma
Little t traumas are less prevalent and less discussed. Little t traumas occur every day and are expected. However, they can be extremely traumatic. Examples might include:
- Loss of loved ones
- Move to a new home
- Losing your job or home
