What is trauma and how does it occur?

What is trauma and how does it occur?

The term ‘trauma’ comes from the Greek word that literally translates as ‘wound’. Although non-specific and complex, it can be summarised in simplified terms as a profound psychological injury, triggered by an experience that is accompanied by a loss of control or danger to life.

The reasons for the incidence of trauma are manifold. Some of the causes include:

• Physical trauma: Physical trauma can occur as a result of accidents, injuries, assaults, or other forms of physical violence.
  
• War or conflict: Experiencing wars or armed conflicts, being displaced from one’s own home, having to flee and being subjected to torture are all events that can significantly contribute to the development of trauma.
  
• Emotional or psychological trauma: Various forms of emotional or sexual violence, neglect, witnessing an act of violence or experiencing the sudden loss of a loved one can cause trauma. 
  
• Natural disasters: Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires or other events can also trigger trauma due to their destructive nature.
  
• Medical trauma: Surgery, lengthy hospital stays and serious or chronic illnesses often equally result in trauma.

These are just some of the reasons for the incidence of trauma. However, trauma is always subjective – something that one person experiences as traumatic does not necessarily trigger the same reaction in others. Just as the reasons for the occurrence of trauma are individual, so too are the effects and the different ways in which they manifest themselves in each person. Every individual has different basic requirements, a different physical and mental constitution, and subjective coping mechanisms.