Resilience and Trauma

Everyone is vulnerable to experiencing a traumatic event at some point in their lives. These events, however, vary greatly and so affect people differently. Furthermore, their ability to cope and recover will differ based on factors such as the experience, social support systems in place, age, and coping mechanisms used. Even with the present world’s heightened traumatic occurrences affecting children, teenagers, survivors of serious disease, and military families, to name a few, the good news is that there are various resilience programs geared at improving resilience among these groups.  People adapt to different traumatic ranging from natural calamities, severe illness, fire outbreaks, civil or political war, criminal acts, family neglect, domestic and sexual violence, and child abuse. These events may involve a single experience or a continuous exposure over to a traumatizing event many years. According to (Reich, 2006), an individual’s capability to overcome or bounce back after a traumatic event in their lives and positively continue with their social, cultural, physical and personal development is a significant parameter to measure their resilience.

Several principles bolster resilience are essential in an individual`s life as they can help one to overcome a traumatic experience. First is establishing a close human bond and having a supportive social network. According to (Warner, 2007), close friends and families provide a good distraction from the stress of adversity and help one to maintain perspective. Being in a good company and sharing positive statements and opinions with others undergoing the same problem makes one feel that they are not alone. Also, staying away from negative people with negative remarks and ideas helps one recharge their energy and renew their vigor to deal with hardship and traumatizing moments.

The second vital principle is aerobic exercise and strength training. One`s strengths and vulnerability are a natural character to help in problem-solving, reaching out to others as well as improving endurance and stamina to go through the pain (Warner, 2007). Accurate self-insight to one`s weakness enables one to come up with alternative ways of solving problems, accepting one`s situation and use one`s strength to overcome a weakness. Positive mental impact provides realistic self-insights into own character. This helps in mind and body meditation.

Finally, stay optimistic and determined. This is important as one can find meaning and purpose in life and will help to keep positive and perverse through the hardship rather than just giving up (Warner, 2007). Other essential elements include laughing and establishing a sense of humor, play music, imaginative and creative thinking and learning the act of forgiveness both to you and to others. This will help in maintaining a positive view of life and inner strength to endure the hardships.

Groups and Challenges Associated

According to the research by (Blodgett, 2013), traumatic events can occur at any stage of one`s life. However, the ones that happen during childhood have more significant and long-lasting impacts. There are several stages or even groups that one can encounter this hardship experiences, such as during childhood, at adulthood, survivors of a major accident or illness, military families among other groups. There are, however, several programs set to reach out to the different groups who are struggling to overcome various challenges.

Military Personnel and Civilians

Not only military experience traumatizing events in their endeavors, but also the civilians. Seeing disturbing scenes such as vehicle accidents, war break out, terror attacks and other alarming occurrences can be very traumatizing.The military, law enforcement personnel and other people like first responders deal efficiently in threatening and dangerous situations on a regular basis. According to (Michael.D., 2014), the science of resilience and growth is crucial as it provides with alternative narrative pathology when our well-being is threatened. This narrative is important as it influences how one frames his or her personal trauma experiences and adversity.

When faced with a threatening situation, one tends to develop a response. Resilience and growth provide one with the opportunity to recognize their initial adverse reaction as part of the typical response to trauma. For instance, research (Michael.D., 2014) shows that soldiers experience personal growth and resilience following combat. The impact of war on the psychological adjustments is complex. Many people from different backgrounds join the military while they are still young. Some of these people have stress-related pathology while others have emotional robust. The war, therefore, is seen as the `test of character` that enables individuals to develop a positive response to it and for the military or civilians to successfully go the everyday challenges.

Children and Caregivers

The early years of life for children is considered to be a critical stage of children`s growth and vulnerability to harm. The vital children developments are influenced by different factors such as caregivers, neurobiology, and psychosocial exposure. These developmental trajectories are sources of resilience and vulnerability in children that play an essential role when faced with the adversity of life (Med, 2003). Complex trauma in children can be very problematic. Some end up having chronic emotional instability and feeling hopeless and unwanted in the society. The excess feeling of stress may cause immature emotional, mental development problems, which persist for a long time.

After a natural calamity, many families have limited access to primary services, and this makes them struggle and suffer for survival. After a distressful disaster, unmet needs of the children significantly contribute to caregiver distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms at least a year after the natural disaster (Reich, 2006). There is, therefore, the need for coordinated and system-oriented disaster preparedness and responses to particular disaster context.

Adulthood

ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study findings show that approximately two-thirds of the adults revealed at least one severe childhood experience. These encounters include emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, parental separation, having a mother who was mistreated (Warner, 2007). The short term and long term of ACE includes health and behavioral problems resulting in suicidal attempts, illicit drug abuse, depression, chronic obstruction and unintended pregnancies.

However, according to (Blodgett, 2013) to the adults can overcome the adversity of life and trauma by having a confident temperament, internal locus of control and sociability. Individuals can also optimize resilience by self-realization, self-regulation and individual cognitive ability. Receiving support from family (parent-child interactions) and social support from friends and relatives can help in optimizing resilience in the face of adversity.

Programmes Associated to Build Resiliency

Many professions are dedicated to the offering, testing and coming up with inventions designed explicitly for people who have had a traumatic experience. Some of the most common programs and trauma-specific services are; Trauma-Focused Cognitive Therapy (TF-CBT), Reprocessing (EMDR), Child-Parent Therapy (CPP), Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), among others (Warner, 2007). While the interventions and approaches used in these programs vary, all the applications share a collective sense of understanding and the traumatic experience. Also, the curricula established a sense of safety and dedicated to developing a coping strategy.

The organizations have better approaches and outcomes than `treatment as usual`, including such things as reduced substance use and improved lifestyle in areas such as relationships with other people, self-esteem, self-identity, and realization (Warner, 2007). These programs understand the paths for healing and recovery; understand all the trauma systems and integrate useful knowledge about trauma into policies and practices.

Compare and Contrast the Programmes and Outcomes

The programs and support network has a detailed apprehension of the prevalence and impacts of distress and is dedicated to addressing the needs of individuals who have undergone trauma. According to (Reich, 2006), significant approaches and services are setting formulated to foster both emotional and physical safety to all the program staff and participants.

Approaches have been put in place to support people in identifying their skills and strengths instead concentrate on the deficits. Also, the enterprise functions and decisions are carried blatantly with the main agenda of fostering assurance and a sense of belonging among the involved parties (Reich, 2006). Furthermore, historical, sexual orientation, gender issues are also vital components the programs support to develop and promote cultural-driven healing practices

Research that Applies to this Programmes

It is evident that research helps in solving the related mental health problems. However, there are fewer data available to validate the importance of organization to be more involving adapting the trauma-informed strategies broadly. Besides, more research needs to be done to prove whether service experience and formally adopts the trauma-informed framework (Michael.D., 2014). Moreover, more information is required on coming up with blueprints for averting the emerging of traumatic episodes, including the Adverse Childhood Experiences. This will reduce the risk of traumatic events.

Conclusion

Humans are resilient in the face of a disastrous event. These events can cause significant psychological trauma that can`t be fixed with natural solutions. However, over time, most people develop a mechanism to rebound from a frightening incident. The most severe chronic dysfunction, manifesting as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which affects 5 to 30% of people, involved in a traumatic experience. Up to 25% of these people display a positive recovery response while another 15% shows a delayed stress. The good news is that psychological scientists are starting to find evidence that specific treatments can rehabilitate brain abnormalities associated with PSTD.

References

Blodgett, C. (2013). A review of community efforts to mitigate and prevent adverse childhood experience and trauma. Washington State University Extension.

Med, P. (2003, march). American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/sites/default/files/assets/soc-AJPM-evrev-ecd1.pdf

Michael.D. (2014, January). Trauma, Adversity, Pathology, and resilience. Retrieved from https:www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/head-strong/201401/trauma-adversity-pathology-and- resilience%3famp

Reich, J. (2006). Three psychological principles of resilience in natural disasters. Arizona state university,Tempe,Arizona,(USA).

Warner, R. (2007). Seven principles of building personal resilience. Retrieved from http:www.buildingressilience.co.za