Q. What is my trauma?

Many people have written that question. They write, "I experienced __________________(fill in the blank with any of the words and phrases below or your own ideas)":

• Childhood physical abuse

• Childhood emotional abuse

• Care giving role in my profession

• Long-standing suicidal impulses

• Suicide of a friend or relative

• Witnessed a violent crime

• Rape

• Sexual assault

• Crime

• Earthquake

• Fire

• Political torture

• Airplane crash

• Manmade disaster

• Accidents

• Explosions

• Care giving role in trauma

• Gang violence

• Natural disaster

• War

• Witnessing a trauma

• Harassment at work

• Multiple hospital procedures Crises oriented life

A. Not all of the above listed events are officially in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. Even if you do not officially have a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, any of these kinds of events can cause a person to experience the symptoms of trauma.

The symptoms of and solutions to trauma are very similar to grief, depression, and anxiety. Therefore, the real answer is that it doesn't matter what your trauma was. Your inner healing comes from how you take care of yourself in the present.

Some people feel that they need an official diagnosis to begin their self-care. Yet, this is the problem they have. Whatever you feel inside is what is important. Everyone can benefit from comfort, kindness, compassion, and good self-parenting.

Then, whatever feelings and events you need to face will show themselves to you in your present. If you need to deal with an event like a crime, you'll find yourself thinking a lot about that event. And, again, your self-care is first. Then you can express whatever memories and feelings you need to process.