Underrepresented Trauma And The Many Forms It Can Take
By Vincent Recupido, LSW
In society and within the mental health field, we have made substantial strides in understanding how trauma can have lasting effects on someone and how to go about supporting them. Just looking back in the early 20th century, when soldiers were experiencing post traumatic stress disorder and doctors labeled their trauma “shell shock”, we have certainly come a long way. Destigmatizing trauma has made treatment more accessible to millions of people. That being said, certain forms of trauma continue to be majorly underrepresented. The traditional definition of post traumatic stress disorder is “a mental health condition that is caused by a single stressful or terrifying event.” There is no denying that this is valid, but this definition leads many to believe that people can only experience trauma from a singular event, which often makes them invalidate their own experiences. This thought process can be a disservice to individuals because the first step of overcoming trauma is to recognize it as such.
An often underrepresented form of trauma is called complex trauma, which can constitute as a repeated and stressful experience that feels impossible to prevent or escape from. A more specific example of this is relational trauma, where an individual feels trapped in an abusive or neglectful relationship with their abuser. This type of relationship can come in many forms, such as a neglectful parent during childhood, an emotionally abusive partner, or even an authority figure that is taking advantage of the power dynamic. Complex trauma is often ongoing and can be challenging to recognize when it is experienced through a series of less overt events. Relational trauma gets minimized due to it not being a singular event, which can make it
difficult to recognize how the chronic nature of the trauma continues to impact someone.
Complex trauma often has lasting effects on a person, including negatively affecting other relationships in the future. Trauma is something that is immeasurable due to it being unique to each person. For instance, two different people could go through similar circumstances but be affected completely differently. For this reason, talk therapy can be a very effective form of treatment. Since no experience is exactly the same, there cannot be a linear or cookie-cutter approach when addressing it. No one can tell you how an experience is supposed to affect you, for there is no “right” answer. Therapy can be used as a tool to discover and unpack trauma in your life in order for you to make that determination for yourself.
When these important connections are made, they open up the opportunity to rise above these experiences through post-traumatic growth, and can help you heal in ways that weren’t even previously conceivable. Acknowledging how you are affected by these experiences leads to greater self understanding, which can help reshape your present and support you in building a more stable future.
Trauma exists in many shapes and forms, and all too often can be overlooked, leading to delay in treatment, misdiagnosis, invalidation, and so much more. This is why it is important to check in with yourself and never dismiss what you have been through. Everyone has a different story, but everyone’s narratives deserve to take up space.