Intro, History & Philosophy

Question 1

What is the origin of the word ‘trauma’?

Answer 1

Trauma originates from the Greek word troma, meaning wound or pierce.

Question 2

How does the DSM-5-TR define trauma?

Answer 2

Trauma involves exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence through:

• Direct experience
• Witnessing it in person
• Learning it occurred to close others
• Repeated/extreme exposure to aversive details (e.g., first responders, police officers).

Question 3

What is a commonality in trauma definitions?

Answer 3

Trauma overwhelms a person’s capacity to cope, alters physiology, and can result from single events, chronic conditions, or a series of events.

Question 4

What was Freud’s early view on trauma?

Answer 4

Freud believed trauma was central to his patients’ problems and that symptoms of hysteria were disguised representations of repressed traumatic events.

Question 5

What led to the recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Answer 5

Observations of ‘shell shock’ in WWI soldiers, Vietnam veterans’ advocacy for studies on psychological trauma, and its inclusion in the DSM-III in 1980.

Question 6

What were the contributions of the feminist movement to trauma studies?

Answer 6

Brought awareness to violence against women, supported research on rape, domestic violence, and sexual abuse, and established the first rape crisis centers.

Question 7

What are ‘shell shock’ and its causes?

Answer 7

‘Shell shock’ describes symptoms of hysteria in WWI soldiers, such as nightmares and paralysis, originally thought to be caused by physical concussions from explosions but later linked to psychological trauma.

Question 8

What is Posttraumatic Growth (PTG)?

Answer 8

PTG refers to positive psychological changes resulting from the struggle with trauma.

Question 9

How did Charcot influence trauma studies?

Answer 9

Charcot demonstrated that symptoms of hysteria were psychological and could be induced and relieved through hypnosis.

Question 10

What advancements were made in trauma research in the 1980s and 1990s?

Answer 10

Discovery of the prevalence of sexual abuse, recognition of torture’s effects and refugee needs, and understanding the physiology of trauma and posttraumatic growth.

Question 11

How did Pierre Janet contribute to trauma studies?

Answer 11

Janet identified dissociation as a response to unresolved trauma, where individuals cannot integrate experiences, leading to altered states of consciousness.

Question 12

What is ‘hysteria,’ and how was it historically perceived?

Answer 12

‘Hysteria’ was historically considered a ‘strange disease’ with neurological symptoms like paralysis and sensory loss, thought to originate in the uterus and primarily associated with women.

Question 13

What were W.H.R. Rivers’ contributions to understanding war trauma?

Answer 13

Rivers emphasized respect and dignity in treatment, encouraged patients to discuss their war experiences, and highlighted that even the bravest soldiers could be overwhelmed by fear.

Question 14

What is ‘Railway Spine,’ and how does it relate to trauma?

Answer 14

‘Railway Spine,’ identified in 1866, described symptoms like exhaustion and chronic pain in rail accident survivors without physical injuries, linking trauma to psychological causes.

Question 15

How did studies of violence against women redefine trauma?

Answer 15

These studies expanded trauma from being seen as a military disorder to a condition affecting broader populations, including victims of domestic violence, rape, and childhood abuse.

Question 16

What did Appel and Beebe conclude about combat exposure during WWII?

Answer 16

They found that 200-240 days of combat could lead to psychological breakdowns, with risk increasing based on the intensity and duration of exposure.

Question 17

How did the Vietnam War change the understanding of PTSD?

Answer 17

The Vietnam War highlighted delayed reactions to combat trauma, leading to increased research and the inclusion of PTSD as a diagnosis in the DSM-III.

Question 18

What is ‘rape trauma syndrome’?

Answer 18

‘Rape trauma syndrome,’ identified by Burgess and Holstrom in the 1970s, describes symptoms like insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and numbing experienced by rape victims, similar to combat trauma.

Question 19

How did Freud’s and Janet’s views on trauma differ?

Answer 19

Janet believed trauma affected only the weak, while Freud argued that everyone could be traumatized. Both agreed trauma led to unbearable emotions and altered consciousness.

Question 20

What role did the DSM-III play in trauma recognition?

Answer 20

The DSM-III formally introduced PTSD as a diagnosis in 1980, marking a significant step in recognizing psychological trauma as a legitimate condition.