American Trauma: Immigrants and War Veterans

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Triggers
Historical Traumas
Immigrants and Exclusion
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Medical Perspective
Trauma and Family
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Trauma is one of the most complex and problematic issues in therapy in the USA. This complexity arises from several important factors. First of all, the state has a diverse population, meaning a wide variety of causes might trigger the development of complex responses within an individual and promote a prolonged reaction. Second, every individual might have his/her own trigger that leads to an outburst of emotions and extreme response. Moreover, every trauma is unique and might differ regarding the peculiarities of the area or individuals’ mentality. For this reason, understanding the given issue requires the in-depth analysis of specific events that led to the alterations in individuals’ behaviors and the employment of this information to create a better vision of trauma’s peculiarities and how they can be addressed to acquire better outcomes.

Triggers

Triggers are one of the fundamental issues regarding trauma and its management. They can be viewed as a specific aspect affecting the emotional state of a person, causing distress or overwhelm. The problem is that in some cases, events normal for one individual might be extremely difficult for another one. It means that every case requires an individualized approach and attempts to determine what and why causes overreacting and distress. That is why therapists should never disregard the hyperarousal triggers in their clients (Anderson, 2016). This knowledge is critical to help individuals separate or get out of extreme responses (Anderson, 2016). It means that attempts to find triggers and why they formed are fundamental aspects of any psychologist’s work. It requires an in-depth analysis of individuals’ states and an understanding of what promotes them. It is a complex task because trauma differs, and every client has his/her own story that promotes the emergence of changes in the brain work and responses to stressors.

Historical Traumas

Moreover, the sophistication of the problem comes from the fact that some traumas might be historical and deeply rooted in families. This issue is especially important for the USA, with the population consisting of numerous trauma survivors, such as black, indigenous, or Jewish people, immigrants, or other individuals with complex family histories (Mandley, 2020). Representatives of this cohort might suffer from triggers that are unclear to them but act on the unconscious levels. For instance, a young woman from a Jewish family who escaped the holocaust might feel bursts of anger or inadequate and violent response accompanied by abdominal pain when seeing cases of discrimination or unfaithful attitude (Mandley, 2020). It is a result of this historical trauma acquired by her family members. However, it proves the complexity of the phenomenon and the diversity of triggers that might lead to distress.

For this reason, understanding American trauma might be a complex issue. The diversity of backgrounds and presence of population groups representing various cultures means that various factors should be considered when working with these clients. The hopeless situation in their states and difficulties with raising children and finding jobs make people leave their land and arrive in the USA (Imberti, 2017). In some cases, it might lead to the emergence of stress, anxiety, and trauma, which can impact individuals later when the outlined problems are resolved. Moreover, shocking conditions in detention centers increase the diversity of traumas and triggers that might lead to extreme reactions (Howes, 2019). In this regard, therapists face the challenge of analyzing diverse backgrounds to provide assistance and ensure the major peculiarities of every case are taken into account and used when providing treatment.

Immigrants and Exclusion

Furthermore, exclusion and otherness when arriving in a new state can serve as the basis for the formation and development of traumatic experiences. In these cases, cultural legacies might impact numerous generations and become worse (Mandley, 2020). Thus, survivors of cultural and historical traumas might suffer from the feeling of otherness, impacting their ability to integrate with society and become part of it (Mandley, 2020). For first-generation migrants, the problem is also critical as their adjustment to new conditions might be traumatizing and require much effort, which is a potential source of psychological problems that should be resolved (Howes, 2019). Asking for help requires realizing the source of these traumas, which might also be difficult and demand a certain effort. That is why numerous immigrants live with undiscovered psychological traumas or memories that are suppressed. However, it impacts their well-being and might transform into a cultural trauma affecting many generations.

The unresolved psychological issues might also be a cause for isolation and exclusion. Subconsciously, individuals with trauma might avoid talking with others or prefer interacting with individuals or psychologists who are also survivors (Mandley, 2020). As a result, they acquire problems in social relations and prefer to avoid them. It results in exclusion and isolation, which are the potential causes for the deterioration of individuals’ mental health and their inability to enjoy numerous benefits available to healthy people. The past experiences of trauma or inherited cultural legacies promote the feeling of shame. It complicates diagnosing and the delivery of care. Under these conditions, traumas acquired by immigrants or other survivors might be extremely complex and diverse. Their analysis is vital for understanding the nature of the phenomenon and assisting patients who have specific issues.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another important aspect of American trauma that should be considered. Thus, the U.S. military has one of the highest rates of PTSD in history (Junker, 2016). It means that the prevalence of the problem in the country is exceptionally high, and it should be viewed as one of the mental disorders that should be given much attention. Moreover, the country shelters numerous immigrants from regions seized by war, and they have a high risk of being traumatized. From this perspective, PTSD can be considered one of the critical mental health disorders affecting the nation and impacting the emergence of undesired behavioral patterns and deterioration in the quality of people’s lives (Schein et al., 2021). Being in the activated state, the brain tries to protect individuals, preventing them from relaxing and using normal responses to stressors (Van der Kolk, 2014). As a result, they suffer from chronic distress that requires treatment. Nevertheless, it is vital to consider that PTSD might not be as prevalent as it seems at the moment. It is an extremely complex disorder that requires specific treatment. In other cases, a person might suffer from other psychological issues that cannot be viewed as PTSD.

Medical Perspective

In this regard, the ability to recognize trauma and manage it is the top priority. From a medical perspective, it is a psychological and physiological response to a specific event (McBain, 2022). Although symptoms are manifested in a person’s bodily responses, medical traumas have somatic origins (McBain, 2022). It means that addressing the problem might require using a new paradigm. It should include an understanding of the origins of trauma, its development, and its current state (McBain, 2022). In other words, a more expansive process for diagnosing and treating trauma is required (McBain, 2022). It will help to consider the differences in backgrounds and triggers mentioned above and ensure patients acquire personified care aligned with their current demands. Otherwise, there is a high risk of a lack of context understanding (McBain, 2022). It might lead to using a standardized approach that is less effective and cannot consider all individuals’ peculiarities.

Trauma and Family

Finally, addressing trauma requires analyzing the current relations and how they impact an individual. The well-being within a family or positive interactions with close people is fundamental to psychological health. However, in many cases working with traumatized people, specialists might disregard a couple’s medical history (Hepworth, 2007). At the same time, severe mental diseases, a burst of anger, or strong emotions because of PTSD might have a traumatic impact on the relationship and a partner (Hepworth, 2007). It means that the psychological problem might worsen and establish the basis for the further aggravation of symptoms and their sophistication. Tensions in relationships are one of the common causes of psychological disorders, meaning it is critical to consider this aspect when working with patients who have various symptoms that should be managed. Moreover, the family can support traumatized individuals and help them to struggle against their problems. For this reason, it is possible to acquire better results when interacting with clients’ close people and ensuring they are ready to help in most complex cases.

Conclusion

Altogether, working with traumatized patients, it is vital to consider the diversity of aspects that might lead to the emergence of psychological problems. For the USA, the unusual structure of the population means there is a presence of potential risk groups, such as immigrants, war veterans, or dramatic events survivors who might have historic trauma linked to their cultural legacies. In these cases, individuals might have various triggers that are unclear to them but are working on the unconscious level. The bursts of uncontrolled emotions, along with the feelings of shame and isolation, can make the cases even more sophisticated. It means that trauma is characterized by the high level of diversity in causes that lead to its emergence. Working with patients, it is essential to realize contexts, past family histories, and the current state of relations to ensure that effective working approaches are employed.

References

Anderson, F. (2016). Responding to extreme trauma symptoms: How neuroscience can help. Psychotherapy Networker, 40(6), 15-16.

Hepworth, J. (2007). When illness moves in: Healing couples process the trauma of sickness. Psychotherapy Networker, 31(3), 52-57.

Howes, R. (2019). Immigration and trauma. How can therapists help? Psychotherapy Networker, 43(5), 63-65.

Imberti, P. (2017). The immigrant’s Odyssey: Trauma, loss, and the promise of healing. Psychotherapy Networker, 41(2), 54-62.

Junger, S. (2016). The bonds of war: PTSD reconsidered. Psychotherapy Networker, 40(5), 42-48.

Mandley, A. (2020). The legacy of cultural and historical trauma. Psychotherapy Networker, 44(5), 34-35.

McBain, S. (2022). Recognizing medical trauma. Psychotherapy Networker, 46(5), 15-17.

Schein, J., Houle, C., Urganus, A., Cloutier, M., Patterson-Lomba, O., Wang, Y., King, S., Levinson, W., Guérin, A., Lefebvre, P., & Davis, L. L. (2021). Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the United States: A systematic literature review. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 37(12), 2151–2161. Web.

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score. Penguin.

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