About this video
When we talk about trauma therapy, many still think of classic shock traumas, which are defined by the WHO as a disease in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, the WHO overlooks that our system can be shaken not only by drastic events such as rape, car accidents, or natural disasters, but also by seemingly subtler experiences.
The feeling of being emotionally abandoned by our caregivers, for example, can leave an emotional wound and thus a trauma within us. If the father, for instance, repeatedly teaches us that we will only experience safety and love if we work hard and achieve a lot, then a belief may form within us that could later lead to burnout or narcissistic traits, without us being able to recall the father’s statement at that time.
The word “trauma” originally comes from Greek and translates to “wound.” However, the WHO recognizes only a few forms of such injuries, and those that do not fit into this schema receive neither a therapy slot nor acknowledgment for the suffering they have experienced.
Ignoring and tabooing such wounds has profound effects on our society. When entire generations of people grow up for whom it has become normal to live with unrecognized injuries, we should not be surprised that there is a lack of compassion and presence in our world. By dismissing our wounds as “normal,” we become somewhat emotionally numb and blind to the operations around us.
However, numb and blind sheep can be controlled much more easily than powerful wolves. The powers that be in our society have little interest in leading us to healing, as this could threaten their positions and the existing system. Yet through healing, and particularly trauma therapy, we can integrate wounded inner parts, not only to become “normally healthy” according to the WHO, but also to experience post-traumatic growth.
This growth can be extraordinary and arises precisely from engaging with these subtler wounds that are not recognized by the WHO. However, if we only focus on the wounds that are acknowledged by the WHO, we miss the chance to discover what transformation we could undergo as a society.
