To understand positive psychology and trauma, one must first understand what each term means. First, positive psychology is the study and focus on the best in human behavior. It is a fairly new perspective being observed and used by psychologists from all over the world. The goal of positive psychology is to study and promote conditions that can help people to achieve happy, healthy, and productive lifestyles. It is derived from research and theories from many areas of psychology and tying them together while focusing on the positive aspects of human behavior. What does it mean to be positive? Being positive is displaying affirmation, acceptance, or certainty toward an object, idea, or person.
“Trauma is used when describing emotionally painful and distressing experiences or situations that can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma could include deaths, violence, verbal and nonverbal words and actions, discrimination, racism etc. Trauma could result in serious long-term effects on a person’s health, mental stability, and physical body. Judith Herman, from Trauma and Recovery, said “Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life” (John A. Rich, Theodore Corbin, & Sandra Bloom, 2008). Trauma does not involve the same experiences for everyone; each individual is unique in that they, and only they, can decide what is traumatic for them.
Before discussing what positive things can come from suffering a traumatic experience, one must first understand that negative things can arise as well. Trauma “shatters people’s basic assumptions about themselves and the world they live in. Thr...
... middle of paper ...
...enter for Nonviolence and Social Justice. Retrieved from Nonviolence and Social Justice: http://www.nonviolenceandsocialjustice.org/FAQs/What-is-Trauma/41/. Retrieved on 10/15/13
Mayman, S. (2007, September 24). 5 Specific Techniques From Positive Psychology. Retrieved from Senia: http://www.senia.com/2007/09/24/5-specific-techniques-from-positive-psychology-more-productive-more-successful-happier/. Retrieved on 10/20/13
Network, F. R. (2010-2013). Trauma Abuse Treatment. Retrieved from Problems Facing Adults who Struggled with Trauma as a Child: http://traumaabusetreatment.com/problems-facing-adults-who-struggled-with-trauma-as-a-child. Retrieved on 10/11/13
Robinson, L., Smith, M. M., & Segal, P. J. (2013, July). Emotional and Psychological Trauma. Retrieved from Help Guide: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm. Retrieved on 10/15/13
Lemoncelli, John, and Robert S. Shaw. Healing from Childhood Abuse: Understanding the Effects, Taking Control to Recover. ABC-CLIO, 2012.
From the presentation, the most important thing I learned was that statistically, more than 60 percent of the population has experienced some sort of trauma and it could lead to substance use, depression and risky
... J. (2011) “Cognitive behavior therapy enables client and therapist to work on cycles of thought and behavior that perpetuate low mood” (Pp. 1). Finally, the Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy will aid the family to understand the traumatizing stress they have endured. According to Cohen & Mannarino (2008) “Children may develop different problems in response to traumatic exposure” (Pp. 1).
Ellis, B. H., Fogler, J., Hansen, S., Forbes, P., Navalta, C. P., & Saxe, G. (2012). Trauma systems therapy: 15-month outcomes and the importance of effecting environmental change. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4(6), 624-630. doi:10.1037/a0025192
The “Trauma” is a. It doesn't eke itself out over time. It doesn’t split itself manageably into bite-sized chunks and distribute it equally throughout your life. Trauma is all or nothing. A tsunami wave of destruction. A tornado of unimaginable awfulness that whooshes into your life - just for one key moment - and wreaks such havoc that, in just an instant, your whole world will never be the same again”(Holly Bourne, The Manifesto on How to be Interesting).
The prevalence of trauma of all types is widespread throughout much of the world and includes trauma from accident, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, political conflict, war, or other human struggles. The many faces of bullying, hatred, economic insecurity and oppression (racism, sexism) leave a steady stream of survivors carrying the burdens of fear, anxiety, rage, and physical illness.
In Trauma and Faith, Dr. Eriksson posed a question that caught on something inside of me and I have not been able to shake it since. She asked what we are to do with clients that are the perpetrators of trauma or whose trauma has led them to perpetuate the cycle. That stuck with me since in the field we mostly talk about treating the survivors not the perpetrators. As if divinely planned, a few weeks later I did an intake with a client at my practicum that embodied this very question. A member of a familial gang since birth, the client had experienced horrific trauma from a young age. Throughout his life, he had then inflicted great violence and trauma on those around him. My experience of sitting with this man who was both survivor and perpetrator,
First off, it is important for the reader to understand what trauma and PTSD is in description. Trauma is an emotional shock following
..., Indregard, T., Stormyren, S. D., & Wentzel-Larsen, T. (2014). A randomized effectiveness study comparing trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with therapy as usual for youth. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 43(3), 356-369.
Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes, small or big. It can have a different effect on everyone. Most people think whoever experiences the trauma, is the person who it affects. The word trauma has many different means, all relating to different types of trauma that can occur. In reality, no matter what type of trauma it is, it can leave a huge impact on someone and can be spread down to their offspring's.
There are several domains that must be considered when treating a survivor of child abuse: the need for safety and trust, sense of belonging, protection from perceived or actual threats, facing the defendant in court, prevention of revictimization, and empowerment (Sawyer & Judd, 2012). Davis, 2005, states that “children terrorized through sexual abuse, neglect, physical abuse, or wartime atrocities may suffer from lasting wounds, nightmares, depression, and troubled adolescence involving substance abuse, binge eating, or aggression.” Victims of child abuse need to regain their sense of control over their lives. Experiencing healthy relationships, being nurtured by adults and helping them to learn resilience are all interventions that have been well-documented (Sawyer & Judd, 2...
When discussing traumatic events, it is imperative to know what trauma entails. According to Dr. Deborah Serani in an article for Psychology Today, trauma is an experience that bears down on physical
How does childhood trauma affect health over a lifetime? To answer this question, let’s dive deeper into childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime and really try to dissect this complex question. The key points that will be discussed in this essay are: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, defining emotional trauma on a child, defining physical trauma on a child, and the role trauma plays in our relationships. Also, discussed in this essay is the effects of trauma on our mental and physical health.
In the United States 20% of the adult population report that they are living a flourishing life (Keyes, 2002). However, a high percentage reports feeling as if they are ‘‘stuck’’ or ‘‘want more’’ and are yet not diagnosable with a mental disorder (Fredrickson, 2008). Because happiness has been found to be the source of many desirable life outcomes e.g. career success, marriage, and health, it is of importance to understand, how languishing individuals can reach this ideal state: How can well-being be enhanced and misery reduced (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Over the past decade, research in the field of positive psychology has emerged to provide evidence-based methods to increase an individual’s psychological well-being, through so called positive psychology interventions (PPI’s). PPI’s are treatment methods or intentional activities used to promote positive feelings or behaviour. PPI’s vary from writing gratitude letters, practicing optimistic thinking and replaying positive experiences. A meta-analysis of 51 independent PPI studies demonstrated significant results in the effectiveness of PPI’s increasing well-being (49 studies; r = .29) (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
An unknown exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event involving death or a serious injury is known as Trauma (Baird & Kracen, 2006). After a traumatic event, people experience emotional and physical aftershocks or have stress reactions periodically over time. The way an individual copes with crisis depends on his or her own history and prior experiences. Traumatic events are so painful that professional assistance may be inquired to cope with the circumstance (AAETS, 2014).