I'm grateful trauma and its effects are being taken seriously And we also need to acknowledge the many layers of External influences that also impact how a person navigates trauma. I say this as a person with lived experiences of multiple traumas and as a Narrative Therapy Practitioner.
While this is fascinating and important work, there seems to also be a rather large gap Context and and External influences on the impact of trauma on a person.
What are the gender/cultural/societal norms and messages they are hearing? Their context is also really important. Do they have familial support? Are they from a marginalized culture?
The example of "a person is attacked and then they feel ashamed" is not an inherent internal response, it's because of what we've been taught by a society that for decades has not believed the victim, has blamed the victim for being attacked by questions like, "what were you wearing?" "Did You do anything to encourage this attack to happen to you?"
In cases where a person has been attacked and they are believed and taken seriously and not blamed, though they will still have the trauma of being attacked, they may not have the additional shame or "it's my fault, I'm a bad person" response. This is really important!
I say this as a survivor of childhood sexual molestation who lived for decades with a story of "forever damaged" < that story was placed on me by a society and culture that says statements like, "such a shame, she's forever broken."
I also say this as the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who had 5 suicide attempts because of the messages from society about being a man with severe depression in the 60s 70s 80s.
Context is so important. And not placing the problem inside a person, rather acknowledging the many layers that also impact how a person navigates. What if it is the broken systems that are traumatizing us and how might we change those systems?
On Oct 27, 2021 Kristin Pedemonti wrote:
I'm grateful trauma and its effects are being taken seriously And we also need to acknowledge the many layers of External influences that also impact how a person navigates trauma. I say this as a person with lived experiences of multiple traumas and as a Narrative Therapy Practitioner.
While this is fascinating and important work, there seems to also be a rather large gap Context and and External influences on the impact of trauma on a person.
What are the gender/cultural/societal norms and messages they are hearing? Their context is also really important. Do they have familial support? Are they from a marginalized culture?
The example of "a person is attacked and then they feel ashamed" is not an inherent internal response, it's because of what we've been taught by a society that for decades has not believed the victim, has blamed the victim for being attacked by questions like, "what were you wearing?" "Did You do anything to encourage this attack to happen to you?"
In cases where a person has been attacked and they are believed and taken seriously and not blamed, though they will still have the trauma of being attacked, they may not have the additional shame or "it's my fault, I'm a bad person" response. This is really important!
I say this as a survivor of childhood sexual molestation who lived for decades with a story of "forever damaged" < that story was placed on me by a society and culture that says statements like, "such a shame, she's forever broken."
I also say this as the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who had 5 suicide attempts because of the messages from society about being a man with severe depression in the 60s 70s 80s.
Context is so important. And not placing the problem inside a person, rather acknowledging the many layers that also impact how a person navigates. What if it is the broken systems that are traumatizing us and how might we change those systems?