ABSTRACT
Arguably the most intriguing construct to evolve in mental health during the past decade is trauma and its effects. With advances in knowledge it has become unreasonable to expect that victims of trauma, any trauma, are able to walk away from the experience as whole people. Since virtually all humans experience trauma in various forms, we are constantly being intruded upon and aspects of our personhood eroded. The good news is that trauma seems to affect measurably only a small percentage of us in any long-term negative way. The residuals of an intense stressor may cause minor difficulties in many of us; major symptoms result in a substantially smaller group. The bad news, on the other hand, is that trauma symptoms are sufficiently prevalent and intrusive as to become a major concern for mental health practitioners. Additionally, trauma gives rise to a variety of disorders, some of which may affect the victim at a subclinical level, whereas others are full-blown and more seriously affect psychological adaptation. The most noxious disorder resulting from trauma is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How this disorder develops, under what circumstances, and with what types of people are major questions yet to be fully elaborated.
