YOU LIKELY FOUND WAYS TO DEAL WITH YOUR DIFFICULTIES ON YOUR OWN, LONG BEFORE YOU WERE READY TO DO SO.
Hello!
The test you answered is an indicator of your level of trauma and the impacts it may have on your life. Your results suggest that you have significant symptoms of psychological trauma. This means that you have faced and probably still face considerable challenges in some areas of your life and may need help working through unresolved traumas.
From your answers, we can assume that you probably did not have adequate or sufficient emotional support to overcome the most difficult and potentially traumatic experiences you have had. In this scenario of apparent scarcity of affection, acceptance, protection or understanding from those who cared for you during the most critical periods of your development, you likely found ways to deal with your difficulties on your own, long before you were ready to do so. Thus, the coping and self-protection strategies you created when you were not yet mature enough to do so helped you survive, but they may not be healthy or efficient. The big problem is that these mechanisms you adopted early on, possibly to adapt to the lack of support when you were a child or teenager, seem to last until today, taking a heavy toll on your emotional balance, well-being and perhaps even on your relationships.
Pathogenic agents
Several factors may have contributed to your developing significant symptoms of trauma – these are called pathogens. Just like the body becoming ill due to genetic inheritance, and exposure to viruses, bacteria, pollutants and other toxic substances, life experiences can also contain toxic agents that are highly harmful to our mental health. In other words, the pathogenic agents present in our life history contribute to the emergence or worsening of psychological problems. Among them, we can highlight chronic stress in childhood or adolescence, potentially traumatic adverse events, chemical changes in the brain, and substance abuse, among many others that can trigger or increase the risk of a lasting imbalance in our nervous system and generate intense mental suffering.
The impacts of these pathogenic agents are influenced by the environment (especially by our closest relationships), our genetic inheritance, and our socio-economic, emotional and behavioural characteristics.
Protective factors
However, just as pathogenic agents threaten cognitive and emotional development + physical and mental health, there are protective agents - they are those factors that function as a kind of counterweight or buffer against possible damage caused by potentially traumatic events. Among them, we can highlight a safe and stable family environment, a good social support network, financial conditions that allow access to information, mental health services and appropriate treatments, genetic inheritance (which can either
favour or disadvantage us from birth, depending on inherited susceptibilities and sensitivities), and individual resilience (which, in turn, depends on protective factors to develop).
LIFE EXPERIENCES CAN ALSO CONTAIS TOXIC AGENTS THAT ARE HIGLY HARMFUL TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH
The root of all traumas
As you can see, understanding the role of the complex interplay between pathogens and protective agents that are at the root of all types of trauma is the first step in making an accurate diagnosis of the varying forms of mental suffering. Only from this understanding can we collectively prevent trauma,
make the world a safer and more welcoming place, and improve the health and well-being of all.
PREVENTING TRAUMA MEANS TO MAKE THE WORLD A SAFER AND MORE ACCEPTING PLACE, STARTING WITHIN OUR OWN HOMES.
YOUR FULL REPORT?
YES!
This is a generic report prepared from your test results. Would you like to know exactly how you scored in each category assessed, and how the signs of trauma affect your life? We will be happy to prepare a detailed individual report. Please complete this form to make your request.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Do you want to know about the types of trauma and their life-long consequences? About trauma prevention, dysfunctional families and abusive relationships? And what is the role of society in causing and preventing trauma? Discover our online courses, workshops and lectures at our services page.
