Trauma is an emotional response to an intense event that threatens or causes harm. It is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds one's ability to cope with or accept the emotions involved with that experience.

An event that a person cannot control, or in which there is a perceived lack of control, can cause trauma. Trauma victims will often have thoughts of “what if” or “if only” related to the event(s), in order to gain some level of control by re-imagining.

Trauma may result from a single distressing experience, or from recurring events of being overwhelmed. It can be precipitated over weeks, years, or even decades, as the person struggles to cope with the immediate circumstances, eventually leading to serious, long-term negative consequences.

If you suffer from emotional trauma and need help dealing with it, join our class, beginning Monday, March 13 at 5:00 pm in room 6.