Good Trauma?

There's something I've been mulling over the past few days because this has really hit home for me. I think we've heard a lot about "trauma" on social media, ad nauseam, especially in the past couple of years. By now, I think many of us are at least aware of the definition and maybe have even looked into it in-depth. There is also a lot of voodoo psychobabble in relation to it, especially for those who desire to shift the responsibility and blame onto others who have "caused" trauma for self-proclaimed victims so they can alleviate some of their burdens and generate some form of advocacy among social media contacts.

First, I want to say that none of us is blameless. It's pretty safe to say we've all contributed to what some may deem as "traumatic" according to a victim's perspective. The term "trauma" gets thrown around so much that it's true meaning has begun to lose its impact, so those who make such claims may not even be taken seriously anymore - even to the point of self-diagnosing serious conditions like PTSD. This is unfair for those who have been survivors of genuinely traumatic events and who need support and understanding.

Secondly (and this may seem to contradict what I've written in my first statement, but hear me out before making any assumptions). I believe that ALL of us have experienced truly traumatic circumstances in our lives, to the point where professional intervention may be of benefit. It's not a matter of self-diagnosis, but the realities of life. For trauma-inducing events, it's healthy to process what has happened and to go through and fully understand the natural stages of healing and recovery, so not all events will necessarily lead to PTSD.

Additionally, we tend to create our own trauma or put ourselves in positions where it will occur (either intentionally or inadvertently). I consider myself to not be risk-averse, so I often have nobody else to blame for some of the circumstances I get myself into - and I have to deal with the consequences. I wish more people could see that yes, they have placed themselves in precarious situations, so when something DOES happen, they can at least bear some of the burden. For instance, if you're out walking the streets at 2:00 AM, don't you think there is a higher possibility that something bad might happen to you?

Lastly, I want to throw a curve-ball into the subject of this thing we label as "trauma." I want to reaffirm that trauma is a REAL thing, even as much as the phenomenon has been diluted to the point where it has lost impact with many of us. It's important to understand that there are numerous types and severities of trauma. That being said, I want to introduce a concept that may not get much attention. I'm not sure if you want to actually classify it as trauma, but it certainly has the same effects psychologically and physiologically. I'll call it "good trauma." For those of us who have been through counseling or have studied psychology, we know about "bad stress" and "good stress" and they have the same effects. For instance, a wedding for a family member might put you through the same stages of stress as a funeral. By the same token, we may be affected the same way that trauma hits us with any life event or circumstance that causes an interruption in life, whether it's witnessing a horrific accident, physically painful episode... or maybe it's a life event like going to school or taking an extended road trip. Whatever the event or whatever the episode, we should never underestimate the effects that such a disruption has on us mentally, emotionally, spiritually and even physiologically. Even if it's a good thing, it's healthy to recognize the stages of what's happening and take the time for processing, healing and recovery. Take the necessary time, be proactive in your recovery and then assume personal responsibility in bouncing back to a point where you are even stronger and better adjusted than you ever were before!