Awareness about Trauma
By understanding trauma, the reactions to trauma and available services and providing this information in a sensitive manner can help victims on the road to recovery.
A traumatic incident can be an event that is, (or believed to be) life or limb threatening, a threat against the “integrity” of your own body or against somebody else.
A person may or may not be traumatized by the incident. A traumatic event can be an incident where a person witnesses someone’s death or injury, a physical assault, combat, sexual assault, child abuse, an accident, or a natural disaster. Trauma can be something experienced , witnessed directly or indirectly, heard about in your community or seen on the news. A persons response may be dependent on their age, experience, gender and / or nature and duration of the incident. The trauma may be ongoing, or it may be a once-off incident and may change or “shatter” the persons views (beliefs) of themselves, other people and the world in which they live.
Such a traumatic incident may affect their identity and sense of independence, they may experience feelings of guilt and shame, feel helpless and not want to trust themselves or others. This can affect the persons ability to engage with people, their loved ones and the world around them.
Understanding how trauma affects us, or those close to us can assist a person on the path to recovery.
When we listen & connect with a person in a manner that is caring, practical and informed about trauma, we restore broken trust, reduce isolation, validate the persons experience, mobilize strengths, minimize helplessness and normalize reactions to the traumatic event.
Helping vulnerable people at risk
So, how do we help?
Survivors of trauma can be helped by a community that is willing to “Listen”, “Protect” and “Connect”.
Showing that you are willing to “Listen”, indicates that you want to understand what they are feeling, experiencing and what it is they need.
To “Protect” means to provide the person with a sense of safety, emotional re-assurance and even a physical sense of protection. “Protect” is when you do something to help and are there to provide reassurance, support, and encouragement. To Protect means to create or develop an environment that offers a sense of safety, calmness, connectedness, and comfort. A sense of safety or protection is developed when important information is provided, clear boundaries, structures and expectations are in place, and next steps to take are explained.
A victim or a person may feel alone, disconnected and reaching out bridges that gap between community and survivor – connecting with them and validating their experience can help them work through their trauma.
To “Connect” can mean “reaching out” to someone affected by trauma, by letting them know it is ‘ok’ to talk. You could share resources about trauma, such as the one provided below. This creates an environment that is safe for someone to want to speak about what has happened to them and removes the stigma of talking. Even by letting them know they are “not alone” can make a huge difference