Comprehensive Study Notes on Psychological Trauma and Psychosocial Development
The Nature and Definition of Trauma
Etymological Roots of Trauma: The term originates from the Greek word , which translates to an injury or a wound.
Physical versus Psychological Trauma:
Physical Trauma: Caused by the blow of external forces.
Psychological Trauma: Caused by an extreme emotional assault.
Interrelation: Physical and psychological/emotional traumas are highly interrelated; one often leads to or exacerbates the other.
Clinical Definition: A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative effects on mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Experience vs. Perception: Trauma is defined by individual perception. Two people may experience the same event, but they process it in unique ways based on their individual histories, attachments, and temperaments.
Operational Manifestations: Trauma is a severe negative stress reaction manifested in several domains:
Cognitive: Effects on the mind and thought processes.
Emotional: Affecting how an individual feels.
Behavioral/Embryo Functioning: How an individual physically expresses and conducts themselves.
The unknown Writer on Resilience: A foundational quote used in the lecture states: "We don't over or move from our trauma. We are forced to make space for it. We carry it. We learn to live with it. And sometimes we thrive in spite of it."
Kath Lewis’s Facilitating and Resisting Forces
Two Segments of the Self: Psychologist Kath Lewis identifies two types of forces within an individual:
Facilitating Forces: Internal, interpersonal strengths that should be empowered and made strong.
Resisting Forces: Interpersonal forces that "hit us" and want to "prick our hearts" or destabilize us.
The Dynamics of Strength: Empowering facilitating forces makes a person stronger and better able to deal with resisting forces. In the context of trauma, empowering these forces ensures that when triggers or new traumas occur, they do not distract from normalcy or pile up into a dysfunctional state.
Pictorial Case Studies of Traumatic Events
Haiti Earthquake: A visual representation of profound loss, grief, and helplessness where victims lose property, parents, and their sense of orientation.
Mathare Valley (2007-2008 Post-Election Violence): An example of community-wide trauma involving fires in slums (infernos) that spread rapidly. It results in a "crushed spirit," disbelief, and a profound sense of homelessness and hopelessness.
Baragoi Massacre (Suguta Valley): Involves the killing of police officers on duty. This case illustrates trauma for survivors, families of the deceased, and the community who may lose faith in the security apparatus intended to defend them.
Sachang'wan and Malanga Fire Disasters: These involve fuel tanker explosions where people scooping petrol were burned.
Secondary Trauma for Rescuers: Rescuers face the horror of picking up bodies that have been burned to ashes or are "slippery" in their hands due to the intensity of the inferno.
Sensory Impact: Participation in post-mortem support or seeing charred remains can lead to lasting sleep disturbances and psychological distress.
Mpeketoni Massacre: An example of trauma caused by terrorism and mass victimization.
Frontline Soldier/Officer Trauma: A picture of a soldier in tears highlights "frontline trauma" or "primary trauma." Despite being in the line of duty, the individual experiences human emotions, pain, and empathy for fellow human beings that can lead to "compassion trauma."
Specialized Levels and Types of Trauma
Primary Trauma: The individual is directly exposed to the traumatic event at the moment it happens.
Secondary Trauma: Occurs from witnessing a trauma or hearing about it. This frequently affects doctors, nurses, morticians, and police officers.
Vicarious Trauma: Experienced by those participating in the environment where trauma occurred (e.g., rescuers or community caregivers).
Collective/Community Trauma: Involves a shared experience of grief and loss within a community, such as the entire nation of Kenya during post-election violence.
Acute Trauma: A severe response to a traumatic event that lasts less than days.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Severe responses to trauma that persist for longer than days.
Developmental/Systemic Trauma: Trauma that is built into the environment over time, such as cattle rustling in pastoral regions or recurring election violence.
Intergenerational Trauma: Trauma patterns, such as abuse or violence, passed from one generation to the next (e.g., from Generation X to Millennials to Gen Z).
Participatory Trauma: Trauma resulting from being a participant in a violent act, such as a member of a mob beating a thief to death and later realizing the gravity of the action.
Factors Influencing Responses to Trauma
Proximity: How close the individual was to the incident.
Intensity and Duration: How severe the event was and how long it lasted (e.g., the length of stay in an IDP camp or refugee camp).
Previous Traumas: A pile-up of past wounds can make an individual more "emotionally fragile."
Available Support: The presence or absence of immediate help (firefighters, police, counselors) significantly alters the level of trauma.
Personality Traits: Melancholic temperaments may internalize trauma without speaking, while Sanguines may be more outgoing and share their experiences.
Other Factors: Health status, family history, culture (e.g., FGM or circumcision rituals), and age.
Psychosocial Stages and Age-Related Trauma (Erik Erikson's Framework)
Age as a Trauma Source: Trauma can occur when individuals feel they have not met specific developmental milestones required by their age bracket.
Intimacy vs. Isolation (- years):
First stage (-): Intimacy for leisure and pleasure.
Second stage (-): Intimacy for serious life-building and family.
Failure to negotiate this stage leads to isolation and role confusion.
Generativity vs. Stagnation (- years): Focus on building a family, career success, and preparing for retirement. Failure to achieve these goals results in a state of "despair" and confusion.
Ego Integrity vs. Despair ( years): A stage where individuals should feel philanthropic and satisfied with their life's work. If the individual is still struggling or has no legacy, they fall into a state of despair.
Practical Examples and Specific Scenarios
School-Based Trauma: Bullying, fire, physical/sexual assault, and academic failure.
Example: A student repeatedly expelled from school for alleged "lesbianism" was actually being groomed and enticed by the Deputy Principal. The expulsion was a result of the teacher's internal conflict, not the student's behavior.
Domestic and Relational Trauma: Abusive partners using a victim's orphan status or lack of support system to maintain control. Verbal abuse, such as demeaning a spouse's family background, is a significant psychological stressor.
Childhood Trauma Persistence: Unaddressed childhood wounds (e.g., sexual abuse) often manifest later in life during marriage and family therapy.
Compassion Fatigue/Trauma: Professionals (doctors, pastors, police) can become fatigued by chronic exposure to death and suffering.
Example: A doctor (Connie) working with HIV-positive children in communities with strong traditional beliefs felt exhausted watching children die because they refused meds out of hopelessness.
Questions & Discussion
Question (Connie, MD): Shared her experience working with HIV-positive children in the Samburu and Pokot communities. She witnessed children losing both parents and refusing medication because they felt life was meaningless. She graduated in the Counseling Class of from Amani to better support these emotions.
Question (Munira): Asked if we are a "highly traumatized society" due to poverty and constant media exposure to accidents and death. She questioned if police officers and morticians undergo mandatory counseling to prevent them from becoming "immune" or insensitive to others' feelings.
Question (Leah): Shared her experience in Rwanda ten years after the genocide. She worked with students who witnessed their families being killed by people they knew. After years, she suffered compassion trauma, lived in South Africa, and learned the importance of "checking in" and being accountable to others.
Question (Christian Mukwana, Pastor): Noted that the church is a first-response center for trauma. He expressed the need to balance spiritual counseling with psychological counseling and debriefs with his wife, who is a counselor.
Question (Losha Manase): Shared his personal struggle with "age trauma" as a -year-old who feels he delayed personal relationships to focus on his professional life and ministry. He expressed feelings of loneliness and internal pressure.
Response (Newton): Challenged the idea of "age trauma," suggesting that prioritizing a career over marriage is a personal choice and that humans have "plasticity"—the ability to go back and experience missed milestones later without permanent damage, provided there is no neurological injury.
Response (Beatrice): Noted that Losha's trauma seemed to stem more from external pressure (family/friends) and internal loneliness rather than a clinical injury.
Comment (Leah): Asked if "psychology can be a culture," suggesting that theoretical models like Erikson's might impose a specific worldview that causes people to feel traumatized when they don't fit the pattern. She shared that she married in her mid-s and feels fulfilled raising teenagers now, despite it being outside the usual "milestone" timeline.