Trauma/PTSD

Trauma can significantly impact the mental health of individuals, families and communities. Traumatic events can include physical abuse/assault, sexual abuse/assault, emotional abuse, grief/separation, medical, neglect, bullying, community based violence, disasters and domestic violence. 

Sexual abuse or assault: unwanted or coercive sexual contact, exposure to age- inappropriate sexual material or environments, and sexual exploitation. Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. 

Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act (any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person) is induced by force, fraud, or coercion or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.

Physical abuse or assault: actual or attempted infliction of physical pain (with or without the use of an object or weapon) including the use of severe corporeal punishment. 

Emotional abuse or psychological maltreatment: verbal abuse, emotional abuse, excessive demands or expectations, invalidation and constant criticism. ​

​Medical: medical trauma can occur when a person experiences an unintentional injury or accident, a physical illness or medical procedures that are extremely painful or life threatening. 

Grief/Separation: death or separation of a parent, primary card taker or sibling; abrupt or unexpected, accidental or premature death or homicide of a close friend, family member or close relative. 

Victim or witness to domestic violence: Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another current or former intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of action that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure or wound someone. ​​

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or that happens to you. If you think you have PTSD, it's important to get assessed by a professional. Only a trained provider can determine if you have PTSD. Treatment can work, and early treatment may help reduce long-term symptoms.