Kinds of Trauma

Most Adult Children were traumatized as childhood in one way or another. Trauma is any event that interferes with a child’s sense of safety and well-being and leaves lasting effects on their positive sense of self.

Single-Incident Trauma refers to a single-incident trauma which was unexpected and came out of the blue.

Severe illness or injury
Violent assault
Sexual assault
Death in the family
Mugging or robbery
Being a victim of or witness to violence
Witnessing a terrorist attack
Witnessing a natural disaster
Road accident
Military combat incident
Hospitalization
Psychiatric Hospitalization
Medical emergency

Repetitive Trauma refers to trauma which has been repeated over a period of time and where someone might feel trapped emotionally or physically. They may also feel as if they have been coerced or powerless to prevent the trauma.

Sibling abuse
Childhood emotional abuse
Domestic violence
Emotional neglect and attachment trauma
Abandonment
Verbal abuse
Coercion
Physical abuse
Long term mis-diagnosis of a health problem
Bullying at home at school or in a work setting
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
Physical neglect
Overly strict upbringing sometimes religious

Emotional Trauma is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It is sometimes called psychological abuse. Emotional abuse can involve deliberately trying to scare, humiliate, isolate or ignore a child. Emotional abuse is often a part of other kinds of abuse.

▪ Humiliating or constantly criticizing a child.

▪ Threatening and shouting at a child or calling him or her names. Making the child the subject of jokes, or using sarcasm to hurt a child. Blaming them for everything or scapegoating them.

▪ Making a child perform degrading acts.

▪ Pushing a child too hard or not recognizing their limitations,

▪ Exposing a child to upsetting events or situations, like domestic abuse or drug taking.

▪ Failing to promote a child's social development like not allowing them to have friends.

▪ Persistently ignoring them.

▪ Being absent most of the time.

▪ Manipulating a child.

▪ Never saying anything kind, expressing positive feelings or congratulating a child on successes.

▪ Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child.

Signs of Emotional Abuse

There might not be any obvious physical signs of emotional abuse or neglect. And a child might not tell anyone what's happening until they reach a crisis point. That's why it's important to look out for signs in how a child is acting.

Children who are being emotionally abused might:

Seem unconfident or lack self-assurance.
Have difficulty making or maintaining relationships.
Act in a way that's inappropriate for their age.
Have more than a few outbursts of anger at home or in school.

A person subjected to trauma may respond in several ways. They may be in a state of shock, extreme grief, or denial. Apart from the immediate or short-term response, trauma may also give rise to several longer-term reactions in the form of emotional ability, flashbacks, impulsiveness, and strained relationships. Trauma can lead to physical symptoms, such as headaches, lethargy, and nausea. Some people may be affected a lot more than others. Such people may be entrapped in the emotional impact of the trauma and find it difficult to move on with their lives.

They experience:

Excessive anxiety or panic
Irritation
Confusion
Inability to have a restful sleep
Feeling of disconnection from the surroundings
Unreasonable lack of trust
Inability to focus on work or studies
Lack of self-care or grooming
Aggressive behavior
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder