Scars and casts, as painful as they are, come with advantages; they can be seen, they elicit sympathy, and they make our limitations understandable. Trauma does not afford us these luxuries. The impact of trauma is usually unseen, unknown, and therefore the limitations it creates are deemed “unacceptable.”

 

It is not just “them” who are guilty of these reactions. We, those who have experienced the trauma, often do not understand its impact because we cannot see its injuries; so we are often harder on ourselves than anyone else. We long to forget. We wish it was “just in the past” so we are more motivated than anyone else to respond in this way.

“Any treatment approach that is not predicated on a basic comprehension of the nature of trauma in what it does to human beings will be ineffective and possibly harmful (p. 45)… Too often the survivor is seen by herself and others as ‘nuts,’ ‘crazy,’ or ‘weird,’ unless her responses are understood within the context of trauma (p. 68).” Diane Langberg in Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse

 

The goal of this chapter is simple – to help you understand the impact of trauma so that you feel less crazy.

 

Understanding the impact of your trauma is part of establishing a sense of safety – it is what allows you to feel safe in your own body and mind, even when your instinctual responses to life events are unpleasant. Understanding is what provides the sense of stability and insight necessary to begin to counter those impacts.

We will examine the impact of trauma in three sections:

 

1. Stages of Identity in Response to Trauma
2. Factors that Influence Impact
3. Types of Impact to Expect

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