WAS IT TRAUMA?
DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA
Bij ontwikkelingstrauma hoeft het niet te gaan om buitengewoon negatieve ervaringen.
'Kleinere' gebeurtenissen, die niet klein voor het kind zijn, kunnen ook trauma veroorzaken.
Houd er wel rekening mee dat het hier gaat om ervaringen, gebeurtenissen en situaties die of blijvend waren, of zich langdurig en herhaaldelijk voordeden. Het gaat niet om incidentele voorvallen.
Trauma herken je aan de gevolgen
These may include, depending on one's history:
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Difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships
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Difficulty facing challenges
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Difficulty knowing who to trust and who not
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Difficulty letting go of control
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Difficulty setting boundaries
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Perfectionism in appearance and performance
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Difficulty focusing, planning and organizing
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Difficulty expressing oneself freely
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Difficulty feeling close to others
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Inability to experience pleasure or positive emotions
Based on the
ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE)
questionnaire
They do not have to be extraordinary negative experiences. Developmental trauma can result from 'minor' events, that are not minor to the child.
If you are wondering whether there may have been a trauma in your past, the following questionnaire can help you get started. Keep in mind that these are experiences, events and situations that were permanent, or occurred repeatedly over a long period of time. These are not isolated incidents.
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Were your parents divorced?
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Was one of your primary caregivers regularly emotionally abused by another person?
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Did you regularly feel emotionally unsafe at home?
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As a child, did you often feel disliked by those who had power over you?
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Did any of your primary caregivers suffer from chronic depression?
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As a child, did you feel like there were adults you could turn to to talk about your experiences when you needed help?
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE ALSO RELEVANT
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Were you born prematurely?
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​Was your birth preceded by a difficult or prolonged labor (umbilical cord around the neck, breech birth, forceps delivery)?
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Did you undergo medical procedures as a child?
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Did your mother unexpectedly become pregnant with you?
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Were you yourself seriously ill at a young age, or one of your parents?
“Knowing that our reactions are understandable is a terribly important part of beginning recovery from trauma.”
​(Bessel van der Kolk)
