The different types of trauma

Trauma is an extremely agonizing or perturbing incident that overcomes one's threshold for bearance. For survivors of gun violence, trauma can be displayed in different ways, each having its own characteristics and implications. Current psychological research .

Acute Trauma

Acute trauma is the immediate and short-term psychological and emotional response to a single traumatic event such as a shooting. Survivors may undergo intense fearfulness, disbelief and shock during the event's aftermath. Some of these symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hyperawareness, as well as emotional numbness (see our article on the symptoms of PTSD here). Although these are normal responses to traumas, they wane with time as people start dealing with it on personal level.

Chronic trauma

Chronic trauma is the aftermath of going through severe injuries for too long or staying in traumatic situations for too long. For victims of gun violence, chronic trauma occurs from endlessly facing threats of violence, existing within communities plagued by guns or being on the receiving end of systemic injustices that further fuel feelings of impotence and vulnerability. Signs and symptoms associated with chronic trauma include depression, anxiety, drug abuse as well as challenges in forming and maintaining relationships. Healing from chronic trauma thus often necessitates long-term therapeutic interventions, resilience-building strategies and addressing underlying systemic issues that help to maintain this cycle.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma describes exposure to an extended series of often multiple traumatic events and is often characterized as occurring within the context of the one's youth. People impacted by gun violence frequently show the compounding effects of complex trauma. Complex trauma can result from the interplay of various forms of adverse events, including exposure to violent trauma, bereavement, and betrayal. It continues to impact functioning on a fundamental level and with inevitable and enduring outcomes throughout a person’s life.