The Six Types of Trauma
Trauma is pervasive in our society. In all societies. But what, actually, is trauma?
The national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focuses on the three E’s of trauma:
an EVENT or series of events
EXPERIENCED as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening
with lasting EFFECTS on that person’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.
Basically, it’s something harmful that happens to someone that messes them up.
Sometimes we experience trauma, but the effects are short term and we get over it and move on. Sometimes we experience trauma and it leads to long-term impairment. One such example is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), commonly associated with combat veterans. But there are actually six different types of trauma people can experience.
- Acute trauma results from exposure to a single traumatic event. Your house burns down or is destroyed by a tornado. You’re mugged walking home from work. You’re injured in a car accident. While devastating, it happens once and that’s it.
- Chronic trauma results from extended exposure to traumatic situations. Chronic hunger falls into this category. Yep, studies have shown that growing up in poverty has the same neurological effects as being in combat. Another example is the book/movie Room, where a woman is kidnapped and held hostage by her rapist for 5+ years. Lots of chronic trauma in there.
- Complex trauma is the experience of multiple, chronic and prolonged, developmentally adverse traumatic events, most often of an interpersonal nature…and early life onset. There are two main differences between this type of trauma and chronic trauma: it usually starts early and is done by a caretaker. Child abuse by a parent is an example of complex trauma.
- Identity trauma (historic or collective trauma) is the result of traumatic events that affect an entire group, to the point that it becomes part of their culture. The Holocaust is an identity trauma for Jewish people; even though it happened 70+ years ago, its effects are still felt and remembered by the descendants of its victims and survivors. One could argue that the persecution experienced by Jewish people for the past 1000 years falls under identity trauma. Lots of marginalized groups fall into this category as well, from Muslims to Native Americans.
- Continuous or ongoing traumatic stress (CST) occurs “in contexts in which danger and threat are largely faceless and unpredictable, yet pervasive and substantive.” The PTSD mentioned above usually kicks in once the trauma is over, but for some people, there’s no end in sight; the trauma is their current reality. People living in war zones can experience CST, as can current abuse victims.
- Secondary traumatic stress is due to vicariously experiencing trauma through the primary victim’s descriptions of the traumatic event or experience. For example, therapists often develop this when listening to clients describe their experiences.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that people who experience trauma are affected by it differently; two people who experience the exact same event could have completely different reactions — or even no reaction at all. As we interact with people who’ve experienced trauma, we need to be understanding, not judgmental, and supportive, whatever their needs may be.
Emily is currently working on her dissertation for a PhD in school social work. Her past experience includes teaching high school, criminal justice administration, economic development, and residential foster care, but her passion is secondary education, especially regarding underprivileged populations, “bad” kids, and intersectionality. In her free time, she likes to travel around the US and the world to learn firsthand about nonprofit and governmental responses to societal and educational inequality.
