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it’s not a common term in the language of healthcare professionals, according to the american counselling association , but when we “ experience of traumatic stress as a result of interactions with the medical system, which may include procedures (i.e., surgeries), new diagnoses (i.e., cancer), and professionals in healthcare settings,” it is defined as medical trauma. and c ertainly, it’s easy to imagine a health event like a sudden heart attack, a life-threatening diagnosis, or a frightening procedure contributing to medical trauma. but sometimes it’s not so obvious, says courtney telloian, a writer for psychcentral. being ignored when you are in pain, not being taken seriously by a healthcare provider, or being separated from a primary caregiver during a procedure can also cause medical trauma.
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makes sense, and yet, it’s complex, says telloian, partly because healthcare professionals don’t often acknowledge the existence of medical trauma. in fact, it’s sometimes referred to as “ d isenfranchised trauma.” people also experience it differently, with different emotions and triggers for those emotions, which makes it hard to identify.
there are some common signs, though, says nic schmoyer, a doctoral student in counsellor education and supervision at virginia’s old dominion university, including i ntrusive thoughts or memories of the traumatic event; avoiding medical procedures or settings; and anxiety, depression, anger, and feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.
“it is important to recognize that there are no set symptoms for individuals who are experiencing medical trauma,” he told the philadelphia college of osteopathic medicine (pcom). “if you are experiencing a significant deviation in your behavioural health that greatly affects various domains in your life after a major medical event, procedure, or interaction, you may be experiencing symptoms related to medical trauma.”
for some, this may mean a diagnosis of medical post-traumatic stress disorder, or medical ptsd. but symptoms must meet the criteria for ptsd, including distressing memories of the event, the avoidance of memories, thoughts or emotions related to the event or not remembering important aspects of the event. and while the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm-5-tr) does not specify that ptsd can be diagnosed as a result of medical trauma, he says that other diagnoses would be appropriate, such as anxiety and mood disorders.
like any mental health issue, learning how to manage and move through medical trauma takes work and sometimes the help of a professional. both telloian and schmoyer recommend a focus on treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy (cbt) to help process traumatic thoughts and memories. but perhaps more importantly, they discuss strategies to prevent trauma from happening in the first place, including having someone who can advocate for you when you are getting medical care, or seeking the help of a hospital social worker or the internal ombudsman.
before the woman in the red scarf and i parted ways — she was heading to the radiology department and i was getting into a long line at the pharmacy — we joked about what it would take to make getting through the front door easier next time. she said she’d imagine she could see a giant glass of her favourite rosé held by a tall muscle-y man standing inside. i thought five fluffy dogs that i could take home and a bag of the best dark chocolate would do it for me.
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