Have we hit Peak Trauma? Psychologists worry the term "trauma" is becoming meaningless

There's no question that numerous people across the world experience trauma every day — yet the word "trauma" is increasingly being used to describe experiences that might not really be traumatic. That may not seem like a big deal, but psychologists say that the trivialization of the word might make it hard to differentiate real trauma from everyday unpleasantness.

For example, an "American Idol" contestant recently claimed to be "traumatized" by some offhand feedback from Katy Perry. A brief scan of TikTok videos labeled with the hashtag #trauma reveals the extent to which the term "trauma" has entered the casual lexicon to refer to mild annoyances or cringey moments, rather than truly traumatic events.

Trauma — as both a theory and reading topic — has, in recent decades, enjoyed a renaissance in the realm of pop psychology. Popular books like "The Body Keeps the Score," which unpacked the relationship of trauma to one's physical body, have contributed to a larger audience reading and understanding the topic. Yet some mental therapists are wary that the word is being overused, which can be detrimental to those who have experienced true trauma.

"I do agree that the word 'trauma' can be thrown around a lot," Erica Turner, a licensed professional counselor, told Salon. "And it's important that we all educate ourselves on what trauma actually means so we can respect those experiencing it."

The word "trauma" appeared in English in the late 1600s, although at the time it more generally referred to a physical wound. In the late 19th century, scientists began using it to refer to psychic wounds as well. In the same time period, French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot suggested that patients experiencing symptoms associated with what doctors then called "hysteria" perhaps actually had a history of trauma.

It wasn't until 1949 that the verb "traumatize" was used to refer to something psychologically harmful — a time period when, incidentally, millions of World War 2 veterans were experiencing the as-yet-unnamed post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD wasn't formally named until 1978, in part due to the experiences of Vietnam veterans.)

Nowadays, the concept of trauma — and the idea that it causes suffering — is well-established in psychology. The American Psychological Association describes trauma as an "an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster."

Turner noted that trauma is complex, as two people can experience the same event and have a completely different response afterward. "Trauma is not the event that happened to you, it's the way you perceived it (i.e., the thoughts and feelings you had about it) and the way it impacted your body and nervous system," she said via email. "Trauma is the negative way you were impacted by an external event."

Trauma therapists, Turner added, describe trauma experiences as falling into two buckets. The first is  "Big T" traumas, which, Turn says, include "major accidents, natural disasters, physical or sexual assault." Then there are "little T traumas," which include bullying, emotional neglect, non-threatening injuries, and minor accidents.

"We as a culture focus more on Big T traumas but don't always acknowledge the 'little-Ts,'" Turner said. "Some people do not even realize that they have experienced little-T traumas because our society does not fully recognize things like childhood emotional neglect or attachment trauma as being traumatic, when in fact, they are. "

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 61 percent of adults experience an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs), meaning a potentially traumatic event that occurred in childhood. ACEs include abuse, violence or growing up in a family with mental health or substance abuse issues. "Toxic stress from ACEs can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress," the CDC states. "ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood."

Colleen Marshall, LMFT and VP of Clinical Care at Two Chairs, told Salon it is common for individuals to search for suitable words to describe their experiences, and at times, they may unknowingly use words that carry a more different meaning than what they intended. "'Trauma' is one of those words," Marshall said. "People might say 'I had a traumatic ride to work today' or 'I was traumatized by the discussion.'"

Marshall continued: "The problem with using this word in these ways [is] it dilutes its meaning and power of describing a true traumatic event."

According to Marshall, such use of the word "trauma" suggests quotidian difficulties are comparable to living through a genuine traumatic experience that invokes a trauma response. This may trivialize the experience of those who have suffered from trauma. Marshall compared the casual use of the word "trauma" to being "depressed" or "bipolar."

"People also say 'I am depressed' when they mean sad or down," Marshall said. "Or 'I feel bipolar' when they mean their mood is up and down today; anytime we use words that have deeper meanings, it does discount the true meaning and experience for someone that is experiencing the true definition of that word."

Psychologist Dr. Carla Manly, a clinical psychologist and author of "Joy From Fear," said the word "trauma" itself has a variety of different connotations and may mean different things to different people. But to a psychologist, it's used to refer to "serious psychological damage."

The APA further explains that when a person experiences trauma after a traumatic event, "shock and denial are typical." "Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea," the APA states. "While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives." More broadly, and perhaps a little more complicated, the APA says that a trauma happens after events that "often challenge an individual's view of the world as a just, safe, and predictable place."

"When we dilute psychological terms such as trauma — applying weighty terminology to commonplace, everyday matters — we face the serious risk of minimizing mental health issues and the difficult experiences of those who suffer from them," Manly said. "For example, a person who experiences chronic hypervigilance and anxiety due to PTSD may be helped by using the term 'trauma' to identify and describe their experiences."

Manly added that by using the word "traumatic" to refer to mundane life experiences, like a challenging workday or bad haircut, "can downgrade the seriousness of genuine trauma."

Dr. Manly noted that those who use the term "trauma" loosely usually don't intend to undermine or offend those who suffer from trauma-related mental health disorders. Still, she believes it is crucial to raise awareness about its use.

"If you've found yourself using terms like 'trauma' without thinking about the possible consequences, don't shame yourself," Manly said. "Simply use the realization as a powerful opportunity to be more mindful about the impact our word choices can have on others."