What is Medical Trauma?

The current neuro-bio-psychological view of trauma is that trauma is what happens inside of us in response to a damaging or wounding event, either physical or psychological. When we are experiencing a traumatic event we respond in ways that are well known: fight, flight, freeze and fawn are all trauma responses, and these responses not only occur in the moment but can happen any time the trauma (wound inside of us) is reactivated or “triggered”. 

What makes medical trauma so complex is that it can happen because of the invasiveness of a medical procedure, the psychological harm of a callous provider OR because the very nature of having to become physically and psychologically vulnerable in a medical setting triggers our past traumas. 

I think about the questions I routinely asked patients when I was a provider: weight, family history of illness and death, pregnancy and losses, past illnesses and surgeries…. Any of these alone can put someone into a trauma response- and I hadn’t even touched them yet! 

When we move into a freeze or fawn response we are dissociated from our inner selves and inner wisdom; this makes it neurologically impossible to think clearly, quickly and adaptively. That’s why we walk out of our appointments wondering why we didn’t stand up for ourselves or ask the questions we most wanted to ask. 

This is why trauma recovery is an important aspect of my work helping you to advocate for yourself in medical situations. We will work together to come up with a plan to reduce your trauma response and get the care and information you want and need.