Psychology

Van der Kolk says that traumatization occurs when both internal and external resources are inadequate to cope with external threat. Trauma affects all the aspects of a person  cognitive, psychosocial and even physical. Sandra Blooms Trauma Theory Abbreviated tackles the various effects of trauma based on evolutions influences on humans as well as intervention approaches to respond to certain aspects of trauma.

In terms of the physical aspect, there is the concept of the Fight-or-Flight Response, Trauma and the Body and Endorphins and Stress. The fight-or-flight response is simply the involuntary response of ones body or changes it undergoes as an answer to imminent danger. This implies that to help those who are traumatized, we must provide a secure environment that cancels out stress long-term effects. As for trauma and the body, according to research by the Center for Disease Control (Felitti as cited by Bloom, 1999), trauma has a direct relationship with an array of diseases like cancer, liver disease and chronic lung disease. Finally, with endorphins and stress, the soothing properties of endorphins are taken advantage of and people become addicted. To battle the addiction, detox would be implemented.

As for the cognitive aspect, there are concepts of Learned Helplessness, Thinking Under Stress, Remembering Under Stress and Traumatic Reenactment. Learned helplessness occurs when one feels like nothing can be done to influence the outcome of an event. Hence, intervention focuses on avoiding periods of helplessness as well as pushing for empowerment and mastery to overcome trauma. With thinking under stress, one would have poor judgment and impulse control as one would be more inclined to act to respond to the need to protect  this would cause problems with thinking. To address the issue of impulsivity and poor judgment, stress must be reduced and strategies to dampen their effects must be considered. When it comes to memory, two kinds are considered, verbal or normal memory and non-verbal memory. When exposed to great stress, one may become overwhelmed and lose the ability to put words to his or her experience. Instead, the memory would rely on input from the senses that give birth to emotional memories that last longer than normal memories. Finally, with traumatic reenactment, some would move into patterns of behavior where they would reenact our past in any or every setting  this is the nonverbal memory speaking out and crying for help. However, the said cries for help are usually seen as deviant behavior and persons exhibiting such behavior are usually condemned by others in society. To address the issue of these cries for help, one must be surrounded with compassionate people that would push for improvement.

Lastly, with the psychosocial model aspect, we have Loss of Volume Control, Dissociation, Trauma Bonding, Victim to Victimizer and Issues of Meaning and Spirituality. The loss of volume control makes use of an on-or-off switch explanation where a child cannot modulate his or her responses to certain stimuli as one could not soothe oneself, which, in effect, would develop personality problems. This teaches us that certain behaviors observed such as those of bad vices are probably a persons only means of coping and must be let go for healthier substitutes with meaningful human relationships.

Dissociation on the other hand is when someone is emotionally numbed but may focus on other things or many things at once. The plan of intervention for this case is to protect one from stress. Next, there is trauma bonding  a relationship based on terror and the abuse or trauma feels normal or right. Another is victim to victimizer where the victim would like to feel in control and would become a victimizer. Finally, there are issues of meaning and spirituality where events would shake a persons belief.
If there is any aim for the trauma theory, it is to create a safe haven for those traumatized. It is through understanding of the situation and of persons who are traumatized that they are able to better themselves. To provide a true stress reduced and an environment conducive for improvement, all levels, from physical to cognitive and more, must be addressed.