Different Trauma Responses: Understanding Symptoms of PTSD

Trauma responses are automatic mind and body responses that protect us when our lives are at risk. For those that suffer from PTSD these responses, that once increased our chance of survival, become persistent and symptoms of PTSD.

Here I talk about 6 trauma responses. This is a defensive cascade of trauma responses suggested by Sachauer and Elbert, 2010 (article link below)
1. Freeze
2 and 3. Fight or Flight
4. Fright
5. Flag
6. Faint

Not everyone experiences the same PTSD symptoms. This is related to the types of trauma response they experienced during the trauma event. Not everyone will experience all 6 trauma responses described above. Individuals that went as far as sympathetic nervous system activation (i.e., fight or flight) will show similar responses when exposed to trauma cues. Those that experienced dissociative shut-down will also show a corresponding response when reminded of their trauma.

These are trauma responses discussed in this video are associated with a single trauma event. Complex trauma, complex PTSD, and developmental trauma can result in additional or different trauma responses.

You can find more of Kathie's work at www.kathieovereem.com

Dissociation Following Traumatic Stress Etiology and Treatment
Maggie Schauer and Thomas Elbert (2010) Journal of Psychology, Vol. 218(2):109–127. DOI: 10.1027/0044-3409/a000018
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...