Trauma

Have you ever experienced something distressing? Have you ever wondered how to process those events? Have you ever had flashbacks or emotional distress after having a similar experience? You might have had a traumatic event then.

Experiences that may be traumatic include

• Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse

• Childhood neglect

• Living with a family member with mental health or substance use disorders

• Sudden, unexplained separation from a loved one

• Poverty

• Racism, discrimination, and oppression

• Violence in the community, war, or terrorism

• Bullying and harassment

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Although trauma can occur at any age, it has particularly debilitating long-term effects on children’s developing brains. Often referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These experiences can include things like physical and emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness, and household violence.

The more ACEs a child experiences, the more likely he or she is to suffer from things like heart disease and diabetes, poor academic achievement, and substance abuse later in life. Experiencing many ACEs, as well as things like racism and community violence, without supportive adults, can cause what’s known as toxic stress. This excessive activation of the stress response system can lead to long-lasting wear-and tear on the body and brain. The effect would be similar to revving a car engine for days or weeks at a time.

Washington Statistics

According to the 2021 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey for Island County the following data was collected from grades 8, 10 and 12:

• 8th grade 126 students were physically hurt by an adult leaving a mark, bruise or injury

• 8th grade 82 students reported they experienced dating violence or sexual assault

• 8th grade out of 475 students 62.5% or 297 reported they have 1 or more ACE’s

• 10th grade 94 students were physically hurt by an adult leaving a mark, bruise or injury

• 10th grade 75 students reported they experienced dating violence or sexual assault

• 10th grade out of 468 students 44.4% or 208 reported they have 1 or more ACE’s

• 12th grade 100 students were physically hurt by an adult leaving a mark, bruise or injury

• 12th grade 174 students reported they experienced dating violence or sexual assault

• 12th grade out of 385 students 57.2% or 220 reported they have 1 or more ACE’s

How Positively Linked can help?

We offer programs that focus on mental health, coping strategies, and emotional processing that can help with trauma and prevent further trauma.

Here is a video that might help: