The Origins of Trauma

 A trauma is commonly taken to mean a serious bodily injury or psychological impairment from violence or an accident. Trauma comes with violence, either literal physical violence or psychic/psychological violence. ‘Traumatised’ is what you feel after: feeling utter horror, feeling absolute terror, experiencing extreme pain, experiencing extreme loss, feeling utterly helpless in the face of danger, thinking you are going to die, thinking the world is ending or being over-powered. The traumatic event can be sudden and brief in duration or it can be a sequence of events punctuated by periods of relative calm in-between. It can even be an on-going event of prolonged duress where the trauma is cumulative over a long period of time.

The Extended Self

A sociological approach to trauma would take into account that our ‘self’ is more than our name, personality and body. We have what can be termed an ‘extended self’. It is the self beyond our cognitions. Our ‘self’ – a social construct - extends into our social and physical world. It is the part of us that is connected to the physical and social context around us. It is our sense of identification with: our looks, talents, body parts, children, partner, parents, ancestry, pets, house, best-friend, friends, work mates, possessions, current job, work title, work role, spiritual beliefs, political beliefs, social roles, health status, criminal status, home city, climate, neighbourhood, local pub or club, ‘old school tie’, nation, car/motorbike, sports team, intellectual property, qualifications, native fauna and flora, architecture, local shop brands, species, nation, family, planet, gender, age group. Our ‘extended self’ can be badly damaged at times of trauma just like our body and mind.

The Canterbury Earthquakes – The First Year

In the first year of the Canterbury earthquakes, over 8,000 separate earthquakes were recorded. On Sept 4^th 2010, Cantabrians were violently shaken awake at 4.35am by the first earthquake, a 7.1 on the Richter Scale. We were left in the dark and most had no previous major earthquake experience. No one knew that earthquakes had multiple aftershocks and released lots of water and silt.

During a Time of Traumatic Crisis - Typical Types of Response

Prolonged Duress & Cumulative Stress

Symptoms of Trauma

At the time of the major earthquakes, Cantabrians would have felt feelings of panic such as: shaking, trembling, feeling numb or tingling, palpitations, fast heart-rate or chest pain, sweating, chills or hot flushes, a sense of choking or suffocation, nausea, abdominal upset, feeling detached or a feeling of going crazy, dizziness and faintness, and fear of dying. Afterwards, the following trauma symptoms would be common: being easily startled, feeling on edge or irritable, having problems sleeping, physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches or upsets, sore muscles and poor appetite, feeling constantly tired, worrying about things that could have or might happen, feelings such as feeling numb, detached or a bit unreal, losing interest in activities, feeling worried and guilty, re-experiencing the trauma (flashbacks) and bad dreams, reacting in ways that feel ‘out of character’, wanting to avoid any reminders (for example, the room where the earthquake was experienced), and age regression/loss of social skills. These symptoms are normal.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Most of us have an Acute Stress Response to a trauma which is normal. Like an uninfected physical wound it heals over quickly in a few days or weeks. Some people, though, experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Like an infected wound, the whole system of the person is affected eventually, not just the wound site. The disorder itself re-traumatises people. To get Posttraumatic Stress Disorder the stressor must be of an extreme nature. It is when the brain gets fired up by a trauma and just keeps on getting fired up even when the danger is gone. The person with PTSD supports their brain to keep getting fired up because their brain makes its over-active warning system seem sensible, logical and necessary to keep the person safe. There is some evidence that social supports, family history, childhood experiences, personality variables, and pre-existing mental problems may influence the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Three Core Elements for Coping

Flow for Mental Wellbeing

In 1975 psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi interviewed people who described their optimum experiences using the metaphor of being carried along on a current – being totally immersed in what they were doing and being successful in the endeavour. From this the term ‘flow’ was developed. Many different disciplines now use the term. When you are in this state, doing something you love, your brain cannot be in a trauma state.

“This is a much needed and timely publication. Dr Annie Southern shows us in an accessible way how the brain works in response to traumatic events. This knowledge helps us to understand why people respond in the ways that they do to trauma.”

Debbi Tohill, Chair, Rape Prevention Education New Zealand

“All of us in Christchurch were affected by the earthquakes and so it is helpful to understand why we feel as we do. And even more importantly, Dr Southern goes one step further and gives hope for achieving well-being in the midst of uncertainty.” 

Dr Marilyn K. Raffensperger, Counsellor/Researcher

“With this work, Dr Annie Southern provides us with an informative and compassionate tool to understanding and trauma. Her research and style of presentation affords us a clear understanding of the trauma response, all the while underlying it with a tone of much-needed compassion and reassurance that recovery is a very real alternative.”

Ann-Marie Holland, Counsellor