Trauma Informed Care
My reflection on learning about complex trauma
Why do some people have poor coping skills, difficulty regulating their emotions and seem to react more extremely than what would seem the ‘norm’? Why do some people seem unable to experience a relatively ‘normal’ life? After many years of working in mental health and drug and alcohol services, I knew that many people had experienced it ‘tough as a kid’ and was always curious as to why they exhibit extreme behaviours and unstable lives. When I finally got to learn about complex trauma, the penny dropped and it helped me understand because I could then relate the science to the the behaviours exhibited in people who have experienced complex trauma. The training also increased my awareness and sensitivity when working with people who have been so unfortunate in many ways.
What is Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma is cumulative, often intentional, repeated and commonly perpetrated by those in a caregiving role. It ranges from neglect to physical and sexual abuse, witnessing violence or having a parent with mental health and/or alcohol and drug problems. The developing brain can be significantly compromised structurally and functionally, affecting emotional and physical health with robust evidence to support this.
How does Complex Trauma impact on a persons physical and mental health?
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente assessed associations between childhood trauma, stress and maltreatment with health and well-being later in life. Almost two-thirds of the participants (both men and women) reported at least one childhood experience of physical or sexual abuse, neglect or family dysfunction, and more than one in five reported three or more such experiences. Women were significantly more likely than men to report more traumatic experiences in childhood. ACE scores were found to be highly correlated with serious emotional problems, health risk behaviours, social problems, adult disease and disability, mortality and worker performance problems.
Why be trauma informed?
To begin addressing this issue, training in trauma-informed care is vital for building capacity among care providers, organisations and emergency services in the delivery of holistic patient care. Increasing awareness and sensitivity to how a range of experiences over the life course relates to a person’s current mental and physical health behaviours and health status can significanty improve outcomes for people with trauma histories.
Talking Mental Health will provide education on the effects of trauma on the developing brain, signs that a person may have experienced past or present trauma and practical strategies that can be utilised to help reduce stress and minimise re-traumatisation. It is important however, to remember that people can and do recover from trauma. Training also includes how to facilitate support and referral to appropriate agencies.
Talking Mental Health provides training from 2 hours to a full day, dependant on your organisational needs.
Talk to us today about how we can teach your organisation to be trauma informed
