Trauma is something that is more common than most people think. There are students and teachers all over Air Academy that have had to go through something extremely traumatic in their childhood and that has affected their overall personality and how they perceive the world. While digging into people’s pasts, scientists, and regular people can figure out that the growth of one’s personality is greatly impacted by the trauma that is experienced.

Types Of Trauma

There are three types of trauma that are divided into sub-types. Acute trauma is an experience that results from a single incident such as a car crash or a robbery. The second type of trauma is chronic trauma, which is repeated and prolonged like abuse or violence.  The last trauma type is complex trauma. Complex trauma is explained as exposure to multiple traumatic events. Examples of this trauma are torture or abandonment.

“I have experienced many types of trauma in my early childhood, but a prominent type of trauma I have been able to get through is chronic trauma. I don’t have to go through it so much anymore, but there was a point in my life where physical and mental abuse was surrounding me,” an anonymous student explained. 

Mental abuse takes a huge toll on the development of a kid. They are constantly being brought down and told they are not good enough, which impacts their image negatively. Physical abuse creates triggers for the victim, and that deters that person from doing certain things that could promote the trigger.

Dealing With Trauma

While people go through their own trauma, each and every person deals with it differently. Some people turn to their mentors, or they stay very independent. There is always something that helps keep hard emotions at bay.

“One main challenge that I struggle with is trusting myself and others. After being in a fatal car accident, it is extremely hard to trust myself driving, or other people on the road driving,” an anonymous student described. 

After suffering through a near-death experience, it takes time and space to heal from it. Some people may never completely heal from something like that, but there are things people to do help them get through it. Specific types of trauma create crippling trust issues, that takes a toll on creating bonds with others.

“Grief is a huge challenge for me. I lost my dad a few years ago, and it still feels like something is missing from my life. Not just a person, but the things he used to do for me are gone too. Therapy has helped me push through this challenge, but it still hurts,” another anonymous student voiced. 

Grief is an entirely another beast to persevere through. Losing someone especially close to you only takes time to heal from. Therapy is a perfect example of how to cope and deal with extreme loss and can help create healthy outlets.

Personality Of People With Trauma

People with trauma show depression, anxiety, lower levels of social support, and low self-esteem. These traits affect people’s personalities and how they react to situations.

“Honestly, I wish trauma didn’t influence my personality or who I am today, but it does. Trauma has changed my view on the world and people, which makes me keep my guard up more and I have a hard time getting along with people,” an anonymous student remarked.

Some may argue that trauma has no impact on one’s personality, but when looking at the personality of someone with and without trauma, there is an extreme difference.