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Home » Consumer Information » Trauma

Situational Trauma

Trauma has come to be expected during situations involving genocide, warfare, and crime. People subjected to torture, natural and manmade disasters, and medical emergencies are bound to experience a great deal of trauma. In cases like these, trauma victims do not usually seek out treatment, or care is not available. Trauma is very common, but often goes undiagnosed, in instances of domestic abuse, child molestation, and incest. This is due to the fact that the victims are rarely identified by caregivers and will likely fail to receive the correct treatment for ongoing trauma.

Trauma can be loosely defined as a coping response that is induced by devastating circumstances. However, the degree of devastation is highly subjective because individuals interpret trauma differently. Some research has actually shown that the methods people employ to deal with hectic situations are linked to the amount of trauma that they endure.

An event does not necessarily have to feature physical harm for it to be considered traumatic. Instead, it must feature these for characteristics:

  1. It occurred without warning.
  2. It was emotionally unbearable.
  3. The victim was unequipped to deal with the situation.
  4. The victim believes there is nothing that could have been done to change the outcome.

Therefore, it is not the type of even that dictates trauma, but it is how a person perceives that event.

Here are some examples of events that certain people may find impossible to tolerate:

  • Childhood physical, psychological, or sexual abuse. This also includes long-term neglect. Someone may also be indirectly affected if they witness any form of these inflicted upon a fellow family member or friend.
  • Events in which the perpetrator uses psychological intimidation through verbal abuse to cause trauma.
  • Participating in or witnessing a situation that is potentially fatal such as:
    • A car accident.
    • Animal attack.
    • Medical complication.
    • Brutal physical assault or terrorism.
  • Experiencing sexual assault or rape as a grownup.
  • Undergoing or viewing physical or psychological torment.
  • Communities, nations, or groups involved in warfare or genocide.
  • Military soldiers' involvement in deadly battle.
  • Occupational stress (e.g., police officers, firefighters).
  • Surviving a natural disaster (e.g., tornado, typhoon, earthquake).
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