From a psychological standpoint, trauma refers to damage to the mind or psyche resulting from the experience or witnessing of a distressing situation. Common examples of traumatic events include war, abuse, violence, accidents, or medical emergencies. Not all experiences of a distressing event will lead to trauma; trauma tends to result when an individual experiences a level of stress that exceeds their ability to cope with the situation. This may depend on a variety of factors, but evidence suggests that distressing events experienced early in life may be more likely to result in trauma. At a young age, an individual likely has fewer coping skills to help them process a traumatic event and is therefore more likely to absorb psychological damage if the events occur while they still experiencing a crucial period of psychological development and identity formation. The amount of support someone receives after a distressing event can also influence whether or not they subsequently display signs of trauma.
Signs of trauma include a tendency to re-experience a traumatic event through flashbacks. Re-experiencing can be triggered by reminders or signals associated with the trauma (including sights, sounds, smells, and other visual imagery). Inability to process trauma can lead to attempts to self-medicate by abusing substances such as drugs and alcohol. If trauma symptoms are not treated and do not alleviate with time, individuals may come to believe that their situation will never improve, and they will never be able to move beyond the trauma. This can lead to a loss of self-esteem, depression, and sometimes suicidal ideation.
Self-harm is defined as direct and intentional damage to the body without the intention to commit suicide. Self-harm behavior is not always associated with trauma: many individuals experience trauma and never engage in self-harming behavior, whereas people who engage in self-harming behavior may do so for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, as a coping mechanism for trauma. Still, many studies indicate that self-harm is often linked to a history of trauma, particularly physical or sexual abuse. Many individuals who engage in self-harming behavior do so in order to respond to intense and overwhelming emotional pain, especially when they have no other outlet or coping strategy. Self-harm is not the same as suicidality, because self-harm requires individuals to cause damage to themselves without the intention of ending their life. However, suicidal impulses and the likelihood of attempting suicide are higher among individuals who also engage in self-harming behavior.
