Charcot was able to demonstrate the disease was psychological in nature. Charcot was able to document, in great detail, the development and characteristics of the disease. Before Charcot’s research, hysteria had been considered a disease with incoherent and incomprehensible symptoms (Herman, 1992, p. Charcot was the first person to attempt to study and define a disease known as “hysteria”. The study of psychological trauma has its roots in the later part of the nineteenth century with the work of the French neurologist Jean Martin-Charcot. There are many theories surrounding psychological trauma that attempt to provide the much-needed “first aid” for the individual in crisis. Crisis intervention is used to provide “first aid” for this altered mental status that will help reduce the individual’s distress and promote adaptive behavior. It is clear psychological trauma will alter an individual’s mental status. The intervention should only deal with the current incident of trauma causing crisis and not past maladaptive functioning. The goals of this crisis intervention, according to Everly and Mitchell (1997), should include: 1) stabilization of the symptoms of acute distress, 2) restoration of a “steady state” of psychological functioning, and 3) assist in the return to an adaptive level of functioning. Acute intervention is then needed to help the individual achieve adaptive functioning to the trauma and crisis. Without some form of relief from the crisis, the individual may become increasingly more disturbed and their behavior may become more disruptive to normal functioning. The degree of distress and functional impairment can fluctuate from mild to severe. As a result of this response, the individual will suffer from acute distress paired with functional impairment. This psychological disequilibrium is a result of the individual’s usual coping skills failing to respond to the psychological trauma. The psychological trauma represents a condition of acute distress causing a disturbance in the balanced state, thus creating psychological disequilibrium (Everly & Mitchell, 1999, p.2). The mind will attempt to reach a state of homeostasis. The individual’s mind responds to this trauma similar to the body responding to distress. The event or situation destroys the individual’s sense of control, connection, and meaning (Herman, 1992, p.33). The traumatic event causing the crisis alters the individual’s belief of a just and fair world. Trauma renders a person helpless and powerless due to the overwhelming force of the event. Psychological trauma is an affliction of the powerless (Herman, 1992, p.33). Individuals in crisis have suffered from a psychological trauma. The crisis itself has the potential to cause serious damage to an individual’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral states. The state of crisis may cause a person to respond with ideations of suicide and homicide. This crisis can be too overwhelming for the individual and may cause the individual to respond in a pathological manner. The event or situation can manifest itself in many forms, but it is the emotional reaction to the event or situation that causes the state of crisis.

We must first define the nature of trauma and crisis, and then view the current models of treatment.Ĭrisis, according to Gilliland and James (1993), refers to a perception of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the resources and coping skills of a person. The need for a model of intervention is paramount to help the individual cope with life’s tragedies. Prolonged exposure to violence and trauma has severe effects on an individual’s psychological state. These images take not only a toll on an individual’s view of society they take a toll on the individual’s sense of well-being. Events included, but were not limited to, the advent of road rage, school violence and mass execution of students, corporate violence, airline tragedies, government unrest, and the impeachment of a president.

In the 1990’s, the public had been witness to numerous occurrences of psychological trauma and people in crisis. The media has presented trauma as the “top story” and “headline news” to the point where they must vie for the most shocking story for the higher ratings. An individual does not have to go further than the television in the living room to see images of death, destruction, and mayhem. Trauma, danger, crisis, and fear appear to be prevalent in today’s unsettled environment.

Trauma psychology