No, your parents are probably not to blame for all your problems: DR MAX PEMBERTON By Dr Max Pemberton Published: 21:05 EDT, 14 July 2024 | Updated: 21:05 EDT, 14 July 2024 e-mail View comments We hear a lot about 'trauma' these days; in fact, contemporary psychology seems obsessed with it. Until a few years ago it wasn't something doctors heard much about at all, outside of people who had experienced some catastrophic tragedy, accident or life-changing event that resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder. Today it's a different story.
At times it feels as though everyone is claiming to be traumatised now, no matter how apparently normal and humdrum their life is. Increasingly I hear patients talk about having experienced 'trauma', often in relation to their childhood. After digging a little deeper I generally find that they weren't abused, bereaved or gravely ill, and didn't necessarily witness something we might consider 'traumatic.
' Similarly, social media is awash with people talking about trauma. It feels as though it has become fashionable. Children need to feel nurtured and loved, and in many different ways.
Some need freedom, others thrive on order and routine, writes Dr Max In many cases what they're referring to is 'struggle' — something we all come up against at some stage, and not the same thing at all. In my opinion it's not helpful to re-frame every minor mishap, set back or stumble as 'trauma'. It's become such a buzzword that a few patients who have experie.