Trauma

A trauma is usually defined as:

Being exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This can be by experiencing it, witnessing it, learning about it happening to someone you are close to, or repeatedly being exposed to aversive detail of traumatic events (such as emergency services personnel).

(DSM5)

There may of course, be other things that are experienced as traumatic, that fall outside the diagnostic guidelines.

If you have experienced sexual trauma, go to the factsheet on sexual assault, there are numerous resources on that factsheet.

If you have experienced some kinds of trauma, such as loss of a limb, or a mental injury as a result of a physical injury, there may be some cover available via ACC, and it can be useful to make contact with ACC to check this out, or ask your GP or health provider to make a claim for you.

For these specific traumas, as well as other traumatic experiences, there are a range of psychotherapeutic approaches that can assist, to help resolve the distress and find a way to move forward without being triggered and easily reminded of distressing events. These may include CBT, EMDR, FLASH technique, Rapid Resolution Therapy, and a range of other approaches.

Most counsellors, Psychotherapists, and Psychologists would know how to work with trauma, and those with an ACC accreditation are likely to have specific approaches that they are familiar with using. As a general rule, most traumas can be either resolved, or the distress reduced in intensity, through careful therapeutic work.

REFERENCE

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [Fifth edition]. Arlington, VA: APA.

All views expressed in this information sheet are those of the author, however based on broad research and clinical experience. Any feedback may be directed to the author: Steve Williams, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Director: C&A Hub.