svpe Trauma

Trauma

What is trauma?

A trauma is an event, set of events, or situation that leads to emotional and/or physical distress for a person. In other words, painful situations may lead to lasting, painful symptoms. Although traumas can seem totally overwhelming at first, it is important to remember that people in the community are here to help you. You are welcome to access their resources as often or as seldom as you like. Listen to yourself throughout this recovery process and realize that there is no direct route to healing. You will have some good days and some bad days. Don’t forget that you are not alone, and that help is available if you decide you want it.

What causes trauma?

Lots of life events can cause trauma, and most people have experienced at least one trauma in their lives. Some examples of trauma are: war, car accidents, natural disasters, sexual assault, stalking, sexual harassment, domestic violence, child abuse, or death of a loved one. As you can see, many different things can cause trauma, so there are many different reactions to traumatic experiences. There are some things that can compound the effects of trauma and make recovery more difficult:

Interpersonal traumas are often more difficult to recover from than traumas like natural disasters that are not the fault of another person. Often, interpersonal traumas include an element of betrayal. We all have an expectation that people in our lives will not purposefully hurt us. When they do, it is an act of betrayal and it is difficult to understand why they did it. Some traumas, such as sexual assault, are indicative of extreme feelings of betrayal, because most sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance or loved one. These traumas are often more difficult to heal from than non-personal traumas.

Extreme fear or terror can also make recovery from trauma more difficult. Some people will experience flashbacks or sudden moments of terror after the trauma that reenact the fear they felt during the initial trauma. If the traumatic event was caused by a surprise attack, it can also increase the likelihood of these flashbacks.

Trauma can also be more difficult to heal from when survivors blame themselves. Particularly with interpersonal traumas like sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, or sexual harassment, survivors may think that they should have prevented the crime through changes in their own behavior. This makes it difficult to heal because survivors feel guilty instead of putting blame where it belongs: on the perpetrator. No one asks to be traumatized, and no one deserves to be traumatized, no matter what they do. It is the choice of a perpetrator to inflict a trauma, not the choice of the survivor. Survivors often have an easier time healing if they focus on what they did right during an assault rather than what they may have done wrong. Think about how the trauma was survived and recognize that, rather than blaming survivors for what they might have done differently.

Survivors have the right to be believed, and it can be very painful if someone questions whether the situation was interpreted in the right way or if someone does not believe a survivor. Especially with private traumas, like sexual assault or domestic violence, it may be hard for others to believe what happened. With sexual harassment or stalking, some people believe myths of flattery and may think survivors are overreacting. Survivors should try not to take it personally if someone does not believe what happened, although some individuals find this difficult. People find sexual violence hard to believe for many reasons, and many survivors experience disbelief in one or more relationships. Remember, there are people in this community who will believe and support survivors, and finding a good advocate or a supportive friend will most likely help individuals have a less difficult experience when disclosing trauma.

-Information from the Resource Guide for Survivors of Sexual Assault, Stalking, Partner Violence, and Sexual Harrassment; UO Office of Student Life & Alliance for Sexual Assault Prevention, 2004.

Stages of Healing

Everyone’s experience with sexual assault is different. These are some examples of what can happen as you heal from this trauma. Remember that healing is a process, and you may experience any, all or none of the following. It is important that you cope with these feelings at your own pace and in your own ways.

Acute Phase: This phase occurs immediately after the assault.. During this stage the survivor may:

seem agitated or they may appear totally calm (a sign that they could be in shock);
have crying spells and anxiety attacks;
have difficulty concentrating, making decisions and doing simple, everyday tasks;
show little emotion, act as though numb or stunned;
have poor recall of the sexual assault or other memories.

Outward Adjustment Phase: During this phase the survivor resumes what appears to be from the outside their "normal" life. Inside, however, there is considerable turmoil which can manifest itself by any of the following behaviors:

continuing anxiety
sense of helplessness
persistent fear and/or depression
severe mood swings (e.g. happy to angry, etc.)
vivid dreams recurrent nightmares, insomnia
physical ailments
appetite disturbances (e.g. nausea, vomiting, compulsive eating)
efforts to deny the assault ever took place and/or to minimize its impact
withdrawal from friends and/or relatives
preoccupation with personal safety
reluctance to leave the house and/or go places which remind the victim of the sexual assault
hesitation about forming new relationships with men and/or distrustful or existing relationship
sexual problems
disruption of normal everyday routines (e.g. high absenteeism at work suddenly or, conversely, working longer than usual hours, dropping out of school, traveling different routes, going out only at certain times).

Resolution Phase: During this phase the sexual assault is no longer the central focus in the survivor’s life. The survivor begins to recognize that while they will never forget the assault, the pain and memories associated with it are lessening. They have accepted the sexual assault as a part of their life experience and are choosing to move on from there. Some of the behaviors of the second phase may flare up at times but they do so less frequently and with less intensity.