The 5 types of psychological trauma (and their treatment)

There are experiences that overwhelm us emotionally; and in the most extreme cases, when these experiences make us suffer a lot, they can give rise to a traumatic type of psychopathology.

The most serious or disturbing situations that people can go through are those that can have a greater impact on their mental health and cause psychological trauma. However, there are different variants of this alteration, with their own particularities. In this sense, here we will a review of the characteristics of the different types of trauma that exist and their effects; this classification is taken into account in psychotherapy processes.

• Related article: "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Causes and Symptoms"

What are traumas?

Traumas are psychological alterations that can be more or less serious and that are caused by a very disturbing or extremely stressful that causes in the person an intense state of discomfort, anguish or directly blocked psychological.

These experiences can be of diverse nature and all of them have in common the great psychological affectation that they exert on the person, which can last

damaging your mental health for years.

Traumas are usually generated by events that happen by chance and some of the most common can be an accident that puts danger to the life of the person, the death or illness of a loved one, cases of sexual abuse and also of both physical and psychological.

The most common traumas studied by psychology are childhood traumas, since it is considered that most of them appear at an early age; however, there are many traumas that can appear at any other stage of a person's development and at any age.

In short, we can establish that a trauma is that alteration caused by a serious situation that the person is unable to to manage emotionally and that overwhelms him in such a way that his memory system is altered, to the point that sometimes emotional crises arise with a disruptive effect in whom he suffers them, by rekindling those memories.

• You may be interested in: "Mental health: definition and characteristics according to psychology"

Main types of trauma

Since no one person is the same, traumas can affect each individual differently. However, researchers in the field of mental health have described a series of traumas that are the most common among the general population.

Below we will briefly see the main types of trauma that exist and the basic characteristics of each of them.

1. childhood trauma

Psychological traumas in childhood are some of the most important, due to the influence they have on the psychological and intellectual development of the boy or girl who presents them.

These traumas are widely studied in psychology, since they explain the majority of psychological problems or alterations that can develop the person when he becomes an adult and there are many traumatic experiences that can trigger them.

Some of the situations that can cause trauma in childhood are cases of sexual abuse and physical or emotional abuse, mistreatment in the family environment, living in a place where there are dynamics of drug abuse or addictions and also cases of separation or divorce of the parents.

• Related article: "The 6 characteristics of childhood traumas"

2. Trauma from sexual abuse

Cases of sexual abuse both in childhood and in adults of any age are usually one of the main causes of trauma in people and constitute one of the most harmful experiences for mental health.

Sexual abuse is a crime characterized by attacking the freedom or sexual identity of a person without their consent, provided that this act is carried out without violence or intimidation.

This type of traumatic situation is very difficult to overcome due to the great impact it has on the mental health of the person who has been a victim and also because she wants to forget her at all costs.

• You may be interested in: "What is sexual violence and what consequences can it leave?"

3. natural trauma

Natural traumas are triggered by catastrophes or natural disasters and also by fortuitous accidents that occur without the active mediation of any person.

This type of trauma is usually generated by car accidents or any other means of locomotion, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or fires.

4. Traumas due to physical and psychological abuse

Situations of both physical and psychological abuse towards a person can also end up generating trauma in the victim, which It can be more or less intense depending on the type of abuse to which it has been subjected..

Psychological abuse is equal to or more important than physical abuse, since it usually leaves sequelae in the person's psyche that can be very deep and negative for their mental health.

This type of abuse can be exercised through beatings, beatings, torture, systematic harassment, confinement and many other modalities that threaten the physical or psychological integrity of the victim.

5. interpersonal trauma

Interpersonal traumas originate from serious experiences that endanger the life of the victim and that are caused by the direct action of another human being or group of human beings.

These situations caused by other people can be robberies, kidnappings and all kinds of acts of terrorism where the life and physical integrity of the person are threatened.

• Related article: "Emotional memory: what is it and what is its biological basis?"

What is the treatment of variants of trauma?

In the context of psychotherapy, it is taken for granted that each case is unique and deserves a tailor-made intervention. measure, based on the characteristics and needs of the patient, as well as the causes of his psychopathology. Now, the most used techniques and strategies are the following.

1. cognitive restructuring

Through this process of psychotherapy, the person is helped to let go of harmful beliefs about the world and about oneself that the patient has been holding, and to resignify the trauma.

2. systematic desensitization

As traumas rely heavily on anxious-type emotional maladjustments, in psychotherapy uses systematic desensitization, a typical resource for the treatment of disorders of anxiety. It consists of helping the person face their fears progressively, in this case the memories of him, giving him support and techniques to maintain control and not fall into avoidance dynamics.

3. mindfulness

Mindfulness provides valuable help when it comes to allowing focus the person on the present moment and let go of the concerns linked to the past and the supposed future that is coming. Therefore, it is a fulcrum from which to get rid of intrusive thoughts and anxiety.

Do you want to start a psychotherapy process?

If you are interested in seeing a psychologist to improve your mental health within the framework of psychotherapy, please contact me.

My name is javier ares and I am a specialist in intervention in emotional and anxiety problems. I can assist you in person or by video call.