What it is:
The standard definition for trauma in mental health (sometimes called “big T Trauma”) is exposure to an event in which a person’s life or physical/emotional safety are threatened. This can include things like physical or sexual assault as well as car accidents or serious injuries in sports. Many teens who experience trauma develop problematic beliefs about themselves (e.g., “I deserve what happened to me”, “I am worthless or defective”, “I can’t cope with difficult circumstances”). They may also develop problematic beliefs about other people or the world in general (e.g., “all men are dangerous”; “the world is unsafe”, “other people won’t help me if I ask”). Some (but not all!) adolescents who are exposed to trauma will go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which includes intense emotional reactions to reminders of the trauma, such as flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares. Associated symptoms include having a strong response to being startled, an extreme focus on safety (e.g., checking that doors or windows are locked, carrying pepper spray), or avoiding places, people, or things related to the trauma.
More recently, trauma researchers have begun to examine the impact of traumatic invalidation, sometimes known as “little t trauma”. Examples of “little t” trauma include:
- Emotional abuse
- A pattern of being humiliated, bullied, or emotionally threatened
- Experiencing a public or very important failure;
- Repeated experiences of helplessness or powerlessness.
For teens, traumatic invalidation typically involves criticism, punishment, or rejection of a characteristic about themselves that they cannot control, such as an aspect of their physical appearance, sexual or gender identity, cognitive abilities, or emotion regulation abilities. This type of trauma involves feelings of rejection (real or imagined) and frequently results in teens experiencing intense shame as well as problematic beliefs about themselves (e.g., “I am broken and unloveable”; “I am crazy”; “I don’t deserve equal treatment”).
Does This Sound Familiar?
- My teen had a traumatic experience that included a threat to their life or physical safety, or witnessed such an experience happen to another person.
- Scary, disturbing, or life-threatening experiences from my teen's past continue to cause them problems.
- My teen has nightmares or flashbacks about difficult events from their past.
- My teen has a hard time trusting other people.
- My teen sees the world as a scary or dangerous place.
- My teen avoid people, places, or situations that remind them of scary or traumatic experiences.
- My teen has a hard time imagining a future for themselves.
- Trauma-informed care has been recommended for my teen.
Associated Concerns:
- Symptoms following a traumatic experience often co-occur with anxiety and stress, depression, insomnia/nightmares, and shame.
- Some individuals develop substance abuse, anger, or impulsive behavior problems in an attempt to cope with the effects of the traumatic experience.
Specialty Services at TAP:
Click to learn more about individual therapy services in this area