The legacy of trauma

Abstract

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, the world was traumatized and we were forever changed. Thanks to modern news media, millions of people were witness to indelible images of terrorist attacks that instantly overwhelmed our ordinary capacity for coping. We experienced a terrible reality of violent death, injury and destruction at the hands of others that left us with feelings of raw horror, fear and helplessness. This is a definition of trauma. Twenty years ago, it was thought that traumatic events were “outside the range of usual human experience,” but we have sadly learned that many traumatic events are not so extraordinary after all. This is especially true of man-made traumas, whether in the form of criminal violence, combat, or prolonged physical, sexual and emotional abuse during childhood.