What does "Capital 'T' Trauma" mean?
According to Dr. Barbash via Psychology Today, "A large-T trauma is distinguished as an extraordinary and significant event that leaves the individual feeling powerless and possessing little control in their environment." Examples of this type of trauma are events like war, assault, intense chaos, and abuse.
There is also what is known as "Lowercase "t" trauma" which encompasses things that make a negative impression on the brain without causing longer-term damage to the brain. An example of this might the first time you smelled your parent's feet as a joke and the smell forever scarred you. It left a negative impression on you, but does not negatively affect your brain function. Each form of trauma has an impact, and is valid in contributing to one's behvaior.
For the sake of this title, I will be focusing solely on "Trauma" with a capital "T".
A traumatic event can place a significant amount of stress in a child's life. Currently there are 95 active wars globally. The number was higher in previous years, but it has decreased due to Covid. A friend of mine grew up in Croatia, and lived the Croatian War of Independence which happened in Croatia between 1991-1995. She said that the war affected her by putting her brain in a constant state of fight-or-flight. It was difficult for her to calm down and "turn off". It had long-term affects on her as well. She told me that she still has flashbacks to the war when she feels unsafe emotionally. She has used her faith as a way to heal, and relies on God for peace when she feels afraid. Trauma and stress can also affect individuals who were constantly experiencing chaos.
My friend's story mirrors the experience of many others who experience war and Trauma as children. Their brains enter fight-or-flight mode, which can have long-term effects on biosocial, social, and psychosocial development. Biosocial development can be affected by changing the growth of an individual or war can cause a shortage or inaccessibility to the items one needs to grow. A commonly-known story about war affecting biosocial development involves the iconic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" actress Audrey Hepburn. Growing up, WWII caused a shortage of food where she grew up. Her first TV interview was when she was a young girl, devouring a bowl of oatmeal after the war while a reporter was asking her questions. A few years after the war, she made an effort to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer, but was told that due to the malnutrition she experienced because of WWII she did not have the desired body-type of a ballerina anymore. Her body was permanently altered due to her lack of food during the war. Social development is also impacted by war because it causes social division, as well as social anxiety amongst young individuals. During the Cold War there was significant social tension and fear towards individuals who were immigrants from Russia or Germany. The fear that Russia was sending spies affecting social interactions with immigrants. The media fuled this fire and many children were exposed to the anti-Communism propaganda circulated in the U.S.. Even today we still portray Russians as cold, suspicious individuals in our movies, shows, and other media. Lastly, war affects psychosocial development by affecting one's emotions and understanding of the world. A common example would be soldiers and civilians in a war zone experiencing PTSD.
Experiencing loss and the chaos that follows can have a significant affect on children. One of the most impactful losses I experienced was the loss of my step-dad. He passed after fighting cancer, and the chaos that I experienced before and after his passing heavily impacted my development. He had a very aggressive form of cancer, which eventually metasticized to his brain. This affected his cognitive function, and changed how he spoke and interacted with us. The cancer in his brain caused him to speak harshly to friends and family. It was difficult for us to try and help him when he was speaking angrily to us. This created a chaotic home environment. After he passed there was even more chaos and uncertainty in my home. The grieving experience felt so sporadic, volatile and almost inescapable most days. This changed my biosocial development by changing my eating, sleeping, exercise and mental health. Before my step-dad passed, I stopped caring for my eating habits. My anxiety had flared up and it made eating difficult. So I mostly ate smoothies. I also started running to deal with my anxiety. So after a few months of consuming smoothies and running I began to lose an unhealthy amount of weight. The loss of my step-father affected my cognitive development as well. As stated my anxiety got worse when the cancer began to mestasticize into his brain. After he passed I struggled with the grief journey. Going through all the stages of grief was difficult, and required all of my mental energy. Lastly, it affected my psychosocial development by changing the ways I viewed my relationships. When I first learned that my step-dad had cancer, this kind individual told me a saying I will never forget. He said "Every day is a holiday and every meal is a feast." This saying changed my perspective of my relationship with my step-dad, and with every other person I have met. Experiencing loss has made me realize that we are not promised tomorrow. This makes me more invested and present with everyone I interact with. The chaos I experienced before and after my step-dad's death is in no way uncommon. The only guarantee in life is that at some point we will die. Everyone will experience death and loss, but it is how we heal and grieve that allows us to move forward.
There are so many different ways an individual can experience Trauma. These are personal examples of ways that children can be affected. Trauma can affect children in unique ways. No individual experiences Trauma the same, and no one exibits stress the same way either. Even if two individuals experience the exact same situation, it can manifest in their lives in totally different ways.
We can heal by finding resources and methods of healing that work best for us including but not limited to: therapy, spirituality, and exercise. If you need to speak with a professional about any Trauma you have experienced, you can find more information on Open Counseling. Your experience matters, and there are professionals available to help if you need it.
I appreciate how well you distinguished the two different types of trauma. Everything about your post resonates with me. I recently lost three relatives; an uncle on my mother's side, my granny, right before Christmas, and an uncle on my father's side after New Years. Thank you for sharing your story. I also appreciate your reminder that our experiences matter.
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