Analyzing Psychology of Trauma Term Paper

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Psychology of Trauma

Developmental and Lifespan Trauma

People who are strong, intelligent and suffering no physical illness may suffer from traumatic stress, and Roni and her family are a typical example. It is evident that it is impossible to totally shield one's self from an experience that is traumatic. Roni was exposed to trauma while in her teens and she still suffers as a result of this exposure. The fact that Roni is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is not strange as it is accepted that about 8% of the population will suffer PTSD at some point in life.

The problems that Roni is experiencing are not strange as the symptoms she is exhibiting are those that are normal for anyone who has been exposed to a situation that is traumatic. It cannot be labeled crazy because it is a normal human response to being exposed to events that are not normal. Suffering from these symptoms does not make Roni weak. Those who have had traumatic experiences would exhibit similar symptoms. However, by gaining a better understanding of what is happening to her will make Roni able to manage her fears and the symptoms that she is exhibiting.

A person who knows the symptoms of trauma is in a good position to make the decision to seek treatment or not. When trauma is experienced by a young person, the consequences, especially in the form of PTSD, are greater than for those who experience it as mature adults. An older person will have developed their cognitive and social behavior in such a way that they are better able to adjust themselves psychologically after experiencing trauma. More serious consequences in terms of severe PTSD and subjective happiness are less typical of people who have suffered trauma in their childhood, such as Roni. Roni demonstrates that a traumatic experience can have effects that are detrimental even many years after the experience.

She is now married and sees her life as meaningful, but at the same time, she still experiences fear and numbness; she fears the presence of danger around her. The effect of trauma thus depends greatly on the age of the person when the trauma occurred. The developmental phase of the trauma from an experience has, however, had results that are discrepant in as far as the way it affects and heightens a person's negative outcomes as well as their feeling of being helpless (Ogle, Rubin and Siegler, 2013).

Anxiety, Depression and Anger Reactions

When a traumatic experience occurs, the feelings that emerge include fear, worry, sadness and detachment. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is recognized when these feelings do not dissipate and the individual constantly grapples with a feeling of danger and anxiety. The person is stuck in the memories of the event and thus experiences pain and a fear that the memory will stay with them for life.

However, PTSD can be overcome when a person seeks help through treatment and the learning of skills that allow them to cope as well as receive support from others. In Roni's case, the event that happened in her teenage years has had an effect on her mind and body, which still experience shock. It is normal for a person suffering from PTSD to experience nightmares, feelings of fear and constantly remembering the event. With the majority of the people who have had these feelings, the emotions dissipate with the passing of time. PTSD, however, is seen when these symptoms do not go and the body does not seem to return to its normal state (Smith, Robinson and Segal, 2015).

According to Erickson (1963), a person forms their coherent life story and progresses their formation of an identity beginning at puberty. These two factors are key in the way the person adjusts themselves psychologically after a traumatic event. Thus, as these two developments of cognitive function and social advancements are made during adolescence, it follows that a traumatic experience during this time will contribute majorly to a person's formation of their identity.

Some outcomes that are post-traumatic, such as experiencing depression and or PTSD, can be predicted where a traumatic occurrence has contributed to a person's identity formation. The centrality of an event is seen as heightening the chances of PTSD in a severe form because it augments the programming and relieving of the experience that caused trauma; this then advances the extensiveness, the lucidity, the recall and the psychological effect as time passes. Some of the consequences of these in adult life include behaviors that are considered risky to health and even the onset of depression.

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Researchers have studied the harmful effects of a person experiencing trauma in childhood on their young, middle and older adult life (Chapman, et al., 2004).

Physical and Somatic Problems

Somatic symptoms that are not well defined or are medically unexplained can be pointers to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is the case with Roni. Hypochondriasis or health anxiety is one of these symptoms as are the ones not medically explained and the constant pain experienced by the victim. These are the symptoms that Roni presents and they can be defined as somatic symptoms.

In conditions of PTSD and depression, it is normal to present these somatic symptoms together with overthinking something or distorting it cognitively, having excessive emotions related to the problem and behavior that is considered distorted. All of these relate to the physical symptoms that are unexplained. A war veteran may present physical pain symptoms, but they cannot be medically explained.

They may see themselves as having a serious problem that requires them to devote a lot of time thinking about and trying to resolve them through behavior changes. These symptoms cause a lot of anxiety for the person who suffers from the disorder and they cannot be considered made up. In such cases, it is difficult to establish where the physical ends and where the mental begins. Nevertheless, in a case where there are cognitive problems, behavioral symptoms are detected and emotional excessiveness present, it is prudent to give a diagnosis of the mental health of the patient.

One of the disorders that not commonly diagnosed is the somatization disorder. Some of its symptoms include: anxiety, depression and behavior that can be considered manic. Others include: PTSD with detachment, severe depression accompanied by disinterest in sex, and the existence of symptoms that cannot be medically explained. Roni has an association between the experience of trauma that she had in her teenage years and somatization as there is a connection linking her somatic disorder with her childhood trauma (Tucker and Foote, 2007).

Loss of Self-Integrity

Depression can sometimes be genetic, but in most cases, it arises as a result of losing something that a person considers valuable. Some of the losses that can lead to depression are losing someone who is loved through murder, a child dying suddenly, and losing personal integrity through experiencing violence, among others. In Roni's case, she lost her uncle. A traumatic experience can cause a person to lose their self-worth during the event and afterwards, leading to depression.

A person who is thus depressed does not find interest in life activities; they must therefore rethink their life purpose so that they can find meaning in life. PTSD comes as an anxious response to a traumatic event and it can remain for a long time afterwards. Some of the things that result in PTSD include: facing something that threatens a person's integrity, injury that happens to a person or another, and even the threat of death.

When a person experiences these events, they are filled with fear, find themselves helpless and are horrified by what is happening, and this is the case with Roni. People find it difficult to work through the loss of someone close to them. The grief that follows with intense emotions is normal, but some people find that they cannot be able to get over the emotions that come with death. These feelings can also be aroused when something of great value is lost, such as a job, a home, or even going through divorce and even losing a pet. With time, many people heal as they go through the normal process of grief. Some, on the other hand, unable to live with the loss, end up feeling depressed (Trauma, 2016).

Compromised Relationship with Others

The interactions with a guardian that is close and loving, influences the expectations that a person has, forming the behavior patterns in the future. There is an indication that the relationships that a child creates, forms the pattern of the future relationship of that child. Negative attachments earlier on in life will thus affect the future relationships and may inhibit the ability to form and keep good relationships later in life.

Those who survive such relationships in childhood normally experience lifestyles that are characterized by conflict and problems, as they may go through negative behaviors sabotage in their relationships. These problems are explained by the attachment theory. This theory proposes that the model….....

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