According to CDC data, 1 in 4 children experiences some form of trauma or abuse in their childhood. More sobering statistics indicate that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced rape at some point in their lives. These numbers suggest that many people, male and female, young and old, have and will experience trauma in their lifetime.  

Treating Health in People with Trauma 

If you’ve ever gone to the doctor or been treated at an emergency room, you know that the entire scenario can feel incredibly invasive. Sensitive questions are often asked, intimate body parts may need to be examined, and the medical treatment may be uncomfortable and even painful. 

How can medical professionals provide quality healthcare to people who have experienced some form of trauma in their past? Through trauma-informed care. 

What is Trauma-Informed Care? 

Trauma-informed care is an approach to healthcare with a focus on safety, empowerment, and healing. This style of care is particularly helpful for sexual abuse survivors.  

Of course, a provider would never ask a prospective or new patient if they have experienced serious trauma in the past. Instead, it is simply assumed that each individual may have experienced some form of trauma and acted accordingly. This can mean many different things but typically it means clear and gentile communication. It means inviting the patient to speak to their needs if they need a break from a painful or embarrassing exam. It also means allowing a family member to be present during the exam if need be. 

The bottom line is, that trauma-informed care puts the mental and emotional needs on equal footing with a patient’s physical needs at that moment. It is an approach that requires compassion and a desire to heal the entire person. 

SOURCES: 

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562 
• https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/tools/healthier-pregnancy/fact-sheets/trauma.html 
• https://www.traumapolicy.org/topics/trauma-informed-care 

You know you got your hairline from your Dad’s side of the family and your eye color from your mom. You know diabetes runs in your family, as does heart disease and Parkinson’s.

But do you know that many families also pass down trauma to their loved ones? It’s not just our physical makeup and risk of disease that we inherit from our family, it is also the emotional wounds as well.

What is Transgenerational Trauma?

Before you were born you were in your mother’s womb and very susceptible to her emotions. As your mother felt joy, her body released hormones that made you feel joy.

When she felt sad, scared, or angry, her body released hormones that made her experience these same emotions.

Eventually, you were born and raised in a house that may not always be happy or harmonious. Your parents may have been emotionally distant or even abusive because they may have been brought up by parents who had their own reasons for being emotionally absent or abusive.

Many families have unresolved trauma that works its way through one generation to the next. Those families who have dealt with addiction, depression, anxiety, terror, racism, and the like, often continue to pass on negative emotions, poor behaviors, low self-esteem, and maladaptive coping strategies. These not only lead to a painful and hard life, but they can also lead to chronic health conditions.

It Can Stop With You!

If you have a history of family conflict or trauma, you can be the individual who puts an end to the cycle. You can be the one who begins a new cycle, one of passing down loving communication and positive self-images. 

Of course, it will take work on your part to overcome the pain of your family history. That’s why it’s a good idea to work with a mental health professional who can offer you the right tools and coping strategies that you can then pass down to your own children.

If you’re interested in exploring therapy, please get in touch with me! I’d love to help you end the cycle of trauma in your family.

SOURCES:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-flourishing-family/202107/breaking-the-chains-generational-trauma
• https://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcoming-intergenerational-trauma-we-can-break-the-cycle-of-abuse/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/latinx-mental-health-stigma