Dissecting Trauma

There are three recognized types of trauma: Acute, Chronic or Complex. The most recognized and current categories of trauma include:

Collective Trauma • Inherited Trauma • Conception Trauma • Prenatal Trauma • Perinatal Trauma • Surgeries/Medical Interventions • Bullying • Community Violence • Complex Trauma • Early Childhood Trauma • Intimate Partner Violence • Physical Abuse • Refugee Trauma • Sexual Abuse • Terrorism and Violence

All trauma is trauma, whether classified in your mind as a small “t” or a big “T”, it's irrelevant because our responses are so individually unique. What might be life-shattering to one person, may leave another in depression for a few months.

So, I like to simplify and think of trauma in three ways:

1. The trauma which we personally experience. 2. The trauma which we witness or observe. 3. The trauma which we receive through our lineage or DNA.

The distinction of how the trauma came to be ours reveals different attachments and discordances with the survivors. How we experienced it also reveals how we could or could not respond or find safety in the moment. Our connection to trauma often carries details of the experience and individuals involved that were stored but may not always be clear and accurate. This can be one of the roadblocks to healing.

Trauma occurs in two states or timeframes—past trauma, no matter whether it is your past or your ancestors, and ongoing trauma that is still happening. This distinction is relevant in that if the trauma has an ongoing component then there is a different level of vigilance necessary and amount of information stored. The more information stored, the more to recalibrate, repair, release and recover in our healing journey.