(general) trauma definition
the experience or witnessed experience of a deeply distressing event act or process.
mental health associations’s trauma definition
a deeply distressing or disturbing event such as divorce, chronic or life threatening illness, an accident, grief and loss. war, torture, rape and GENOCIDE.
american psychological association’s trauma definition
- the apa is a Eurocentric organization
- a mental DISORDER. seen in the diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM). falls under PTSD (post trauma stress disorder).
- “actual or threatened DEATH, serious injury, or sexual violence.”
africentric trauma definition
specific of the african, african descendent and children of the diaspora. summarized as an inherent lack of SELF-KNOWLEDGE. this in relation to HOLISM.
- inner verbs external knowledge
worst kind of trauma:
inner knowledge
the ability to become aware of one’s body, thoughts, connectedness to nature, the universe and collective conscious body -> the ability to tap into one’s emotional state. metaphysical realm and becomes united with physical plane.
external knowledge
includes an understanding of african history, culture, rituals and traditions –> process of translating that knowledge into knowing.
symptoms of trauma (africentric trauma)
- immediate emotional reactions
- immediate physical reactions
- immediate existential reactions
- delayed emotional reactions
- delayed physical reactions
- delayed cognitive reactions
- delayed behavioral reactions
3 types of trauma and how early can trauma start
trauma can begin as early as in utero
- acute, chronic and complex
acute trauma
consists of single traumatic event
ex: car accident, single instance of rape, witnessing a car crash once.
chronic trauma
repeated or prolonged traumatic event(s). this can be a series of traumatic events or a single traumatic event occurring repeatedly.
ex: sexual abuse, bullying, violent neighborhoods, watching a violent video repeatedly.
complex trauma
experiencing varied or multiple traumatic events, that are invasive or interpersonal. can also mean multiple traumatic events occurring to children 0-6 years and often referred as Early Childhood Complex Trauma.
ex: rape/prostitution, violent neighborhoods, plane crash, death of a loved one.
multigenerational trauma
- this and racial trauma are the only GROUP trauma.
- consists of complex and chronic trauma that can be transferred from first-get trauma survivors to further gen. trauma survivors.
- changes gene expression/dna
when did slavery begin?
before U.S. chattel slavery.
western psychology
focuses on behavior. the purpose is to control.
midterm question: differences between traumas
- acute, chronic and complex are INDIVIDUAL trauma.
- multigenerational is GROUP trauma.
(quiz) // question 1: All of these are a type of trauma except:
reverse racism
(quiz) // question 2: Which type of trauma can only occur in children ages 0-6?
complex
(quiz) // question 3: Which type of trauma consists of a single incident?
acute
(quiz) // question 4: What are the differences between Acute, Chronic, Complex trauma and Multigenerational Trauma? (check all that apply)
- One type of trauma produces mass, systemic and individual changes, while the other only produces individual changes
- Chronic, Acute and Complex trauma are all Individual traumas
- Transgenerational trauma occurs through epigeneti
(quiz) // question 5: Multigenerational Trauma of Africans began during Slavery in the U.S.
false
sociological trauma
systems in our society that perpetrate trauma or manipulate the process, so a victim keeps enduring it
Ex: single mothers (systems in place to put more black men in jail)
Racism victimizes the victim
consequences of trauma in black community
Racism/discrimination, unemployment (last hired, first fired), lynching, less access to clean water, overincarceration of black men, wage gap b/w black people, more dropouts (systematic racism of teachers), crime, police brutality, racial profiling, housing discrimination & more
knowing
an individual with conscious awareness, harmony, balance and access to the ancestors
To an African, those cut off from gaining self-knowledge have endured worst trauma à being incapable of self-actualization
Africentric households have a more widespread way of parenting; it takes a village
It’s not who is in the home; it’s who raises the kid
