Committed trauma refers to being affected by the consequences of traumatic events that the person did not experience directly in their own life, but experienced in the life of parents, grandparents, relatives or other significant people. The effects of such traumas have a significant impact on people’s mental health. Committed traumas can lead to the development of depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and other psychiatric disorders.

The effects of undertaken trauma on mental health can manifest itself over a period of time from a person’s childhood to adulthood. These effects can include high levels of anxiety, low self-esteem, personality disorders, and insomnia. In addition, it is known that undertaken traumas can play an important role in the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, the effects of undertaken traumas on mental health are considered as an important issue in the development of psychological counseling, psychotherapy and other treatments.

Why does undertaken trauma play an important role in the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety?

Committed trauma refers to being affected by the consequences of traumatic events that the person did not experience directly in their own life, but experienced in the life of family members or significant other. Such traumas can negatively affect a person’s mental health and lead to the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Undertaken trauma can lead to deterioration in personality development and psychological resilience due to negative experiences such as uncertainty, insecurity, separation, neglect or abuse from childhood. This may cause the individual to be exposed to higher levels of stress and difficulties in their future life. This, in turn, may contribute to the development of anxiety disorders such as anxiety, panic attacks, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Similarly, inflicted trauma can be associated with a persistent feeling of worthlessness, loneliness, low self-esteem, self-criticism, and carrying an emotional burden that can lead to depression. This emotional burden can cause the person to feel out of control, helplessness and hopelessness.

For this reason, it is thought that undertaken trauma plays an important role in the development of depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. In the treatment process, it is important for the person to realize and accept the traumas that have been undertaken, to overcome these traumas with psychotherapy or other therapy methods, to protect mental health.

How important is the transmission of undertaken trauma from generation to generation in its effects on mental health?

The transmission of undertaken trauma from generation to generation can have a significant impact on mental health. This process means passing on past traumatic events among family members to children, grandchildren, and even more distant relatives.

This transfer can cause children or other family members to grow up in an environment filled with traumatic events, and this environment may have a lasting impact on their mental health. For example, if traumatic events such as violence, abuse, separation or death have occurred in the family, children and grandchildren who grew up in this environment may also feel the impact of these events.

The transmission of the trauma that has been undertaken from generation to generation can also affect the way a person perceives himself and the world around him. This process can make the person and others constantly feel dangerous, insecure, or threatened. This, in turn, can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Therefore, the transmission of assumed trauma from generation to generation can have a significant impact on mental health, and awareness and intervention of traumatic experiences within the family is important. Families can prevent the transmission of traumatic experiences from generation to generation by recognizing the traumas they have undertaken and the effects of these traumas, and by getting help from psychotherapists who are specialized in this field. In this way, the mental health of family members can be better protected and post-traumatic growth can be achieved.

In which life periods do the effects of sustained trauma on mental health become more pronounced?

The effects of undertaken trauma on mental health may become evident in different ways at different stages of life. These effects can vary depending on when the person experienced the trauma, how long they were exposed, what traumatic event they encountered, and how intense the trauma was. In general, however, the mental health effects of undertaken trauma may become more pronounced during the following life stages:

Childhood: The effects of undertaken trauma may become more pronounced when children are exposed to a traumatic event or are neglected or abused by their primary caregivers. Trauma undertaken during childhood can affect personality development, cause problems in emotional regulation, and cause psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.

Adolescence: Adolescence is an important period in the development of a person’s identity. During this period, the impact of the inflicted trauma may become more pronounced on a person’s self-esteem, self-evaluation, and emotional regulation ability. During this period, people begin to understand and process traumatic experiences, and this process can have a significant impact on mental health.

Adulthood: Adulthood provides an opportunity for the person to understand and process traumatic experiences. However, the effects of undertaken trauma may remain evident into adulthood and affect a person’s quality of life. The effect of the trauma in adults can manifest itself with psychological problems such as insecurity in relationships, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Old age period: The old age period is a period in which a person is faced with many losses and changes in his life. For this reason, the effects of undertaken trauma may also be evident in old age and may lead to the emergence of psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. In addition, old age also allows the person to make sense of and reinterpret their traumatic experiences. This process can help the person recover from the trauma that has been undertaken and improve their mental health. However, due to the increase in physical health problems in old age, the effects of the trauma may become more evident and negatively affect the quality of life of the person.

Which psychotherapy modalities may be more effective in treating the mental health effects of undertaken traumas?

Many different psychotherapy methods can be used in the treatment of the effects of undertaken traumas on mental health. Some psychotherapy methods are:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT aims to improve the emotional regulation of the person by changing the negative thought patterns caused by the trauma that has been undertaken.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (DOT): DOT aims to strengthen the person’s emotional regulation ability by incorporating emotional pain resulting from the person’s undertaken trauma into the process.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): EMDR uses stimulating techniques such as eye movements to alleviate the effects of a person’s assumed trauma.

Psychoanalytic Therapy: Psychoanalytic therapy helps the person become aware of the traumatic experiences hidden in the subconscious and understand how these experiences affect the person’s daily life.

Family Therapy: Family therapy aims to strengthen the person’s ability to cope with trauma by changing the dynamics of the family by addressing the transfer of the person’s assumed traumas from generation to generation.

These psychotherapy methods use different approaches to strengthen a person’s ability to cope with trauma. Which psychotherapy method will be used is determined by the person’s life period, personality and characteristics of the trauma.

What are the effects of undertaken trauma on other psychiatric disorders and what approaches can be used to treat these effects?

The effects of undertaken trauma on mental health are not limited to significant psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. This form of trauma can cause many different psychological problems. Examples of these are:

borderline personality disorder

dissociative disorders

self-harming behaviors

Alcohol or substance abuse

Eating disorders

traumatic brain injury

autism spectrum disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Different psychotherapy methods can be used against these different effects of undertaken trauma. Some examples are:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This approach aims to change the thought patterns and behaviors caused by the undertaken trauma by discovering the connection between the thoughts and behaviors of the person.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): This therapy method helps a person remember traumatic experiences and reduce the emotional stress associated with them.

Psychodynamic therapy: This approach aims to explore the root causes of the trauma by exploring the person’s subconscious thoughts and feelings.

Family therapy: This approach explores family dynamics, addresses the impact of inflicted trauma on family relationships, and focuses on improving these effects.

Art therapy: In this method, people are helped to reduce the emotional stress caused by the trauma that has been undertaken by using creative processes.

The use of these therapy modalities may vary depending on the person’s signs and symptoms caused by the trauma, life span, and personal preferences. Therefore, the most appropriate treatment method for the individual’s needs should be determined by a psychiatrist or psychologist.