Trauma is not an uncommon experience, and its impact can be life-altering. Traumatic events impact not only the individual’s psychological structures but also the systems of attachment. The quality of attachment is between the infant and their parent/caregiver. The infant-caregiver attachment connection lays the foundation for how the individual will behave and react to certain situations. Additionally, it influences the individual’s interactions in interpersonal relationships. The attachment relationship determines if infants will experience security or insecurity and how this experience will help them understand their feelings. Therefore, the attachment style can guide the individual to understand and tolerate life experiences, especially when managing traumatic events. There is a connection between the internal ways we know information and the distressing experiences to our psyche.
A small “t” trauma includes an event, situation, or experience that exceeds one’s capacity to cope. This disrupts one’s emotional functioning. These events, problems, or experiences are not inherently life-threatening, but instead, it impacts one ego. Freud suggested trauma “intrudes upon the ego,” and the ego struggles to adjust and adapt to this intrusion. As a result, the person will feel helpless and distressed. Unfortunately, the individual often overlooks this form of trauma. These are your personal experiences for the (my) listening audience you try to forget and not talk about with others. Some examples are one’s experience with divorce, adultery, financial distress, legal issues, relationship challenges.
A capital “T” trauma is when an event, situation, or experience causes one’s life and integrity to be threatened. The person feels powerless and has little control in their life and circumstances. Most consider a capital “T” trauma as a natural disaster, a terrorist attack, going to or feeling like you live in a war, sexual and physical assaults, all significant accidents such as a car, airplane, train, or boat. Unfortunately, most research fails to explore with capital “T” trauma: racism, sexism, isms in general, institutional forms of oppression, slavery, historical, cultural, and unconscious forms of trauma.
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