Trauma 101
T/F: ACES Stands for "Acknowledgement of Childhood Experiences."
FALSE: Adverse Childhood Experiences
TRUE!
T/F: 50% of the population has an ACE score of at least 2.
Name 3 identifiable risk factors that can increase the likelihood of a traumatic reaction?
The options are endless! Some include, the trauma experience was unexpected, the victim has experiences past traumas, and the experience happened repeatedly.
T/F: Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder must appear within 6 months of the traumatic experience to in order to be diagnosed with PTSD.
False: Symptoms can appear as early as one month after the event or as late as years later.
T/F: Trauma is categorized into two types: Simple and Complicated
FALSE: Simple and Complex
T/F: Substance use can negatively impact our ability to heal from a traumatic experience.
TRUE!
____ trauma is an occupational challenge for people working and volunteering in the fields of victim services, law enforcement, and other allied professions due to their exposure to victims of trauma.
Vicarious Trauma
T/F: Resilience is somebody's ability to ignore, repress, and hide from stress/adversity.
FALSE: An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
Secondary traumatic stress is defined as experiencing indirectly a traumatic state of stress through trauma that was directly experienced by another person.
T/F: The lower your ACE score, the more at risk you are of substance use, chronic health conditions, and suicide attempts, etc.
FALSE!
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are categorized into three groups: abuse, household challenges, and ____.
NEGLECT
What is Exposure Therapy and how can it be helpful in coping with trauma?
During exposure therapy, the patient is exposed to reminder of their trauma in a gradual and safe way. With enough exposure, the trauma begins to lose its emotional power and symptoms diminish.
T/F: PTSD is considering to be an anxiety disorder.
TRUE! It is marked by an overwhelming feeling of anxiety during or after the trauma.
T/F: Common symptoms of trauma include exaggerated startled responses, self-blame, distressing dreams, and flashbacks.
TRUE
T/F: I need to get clean from substances before I can work on my trauma.
FALSE: Both substance use, and trauma can be treated at the same time.
What is CBT and how can it be helpful in healing from trauma?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers beneficial tools for coping with the way individuals respond to trauma triggers and process the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors connected with their trauma.
What is post-traumatic growth?
Post-Traumatic Growth is the positive psychological change that some individuals experience after a life crisis or traumatic event.
How do trauma and substance use relate?
Substance use can often be used to numb the feelings of a traumatic experience OR substance use can put us at risk of being in a high-risk environment.
T/F: Using substances can decrease the effectiveness of medications such as anti-depressants.
TRUE!
What is the difference between trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder?
Trauma: A deeply distressing or disturbing experience
PTSD: A mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.
What are 3 types of traumatic experiences?
The options are endless. Some can include abuse, neglect, car accidents, bullying, etc.
The options are endless! Some include, meditation, deep breathing, journaling, talking with a therapist, grounding, etc.
T/F: It is recommended to talk about painful trauma memories right away in treatment.
IT DEPENDS!
What are the three stress responses our brain uses when responding to a dangerous situation?
Fight, Flight, and Freeze!