Although there are dramatic differences in the way the two forms of trauma can affect people’s lives and functioning—the big-T variety, in general, being far more distressing and disabling—there is also much overlap. They both represent a fracturing of the self and of one’s relationship to the world. That fracturing is the essence of trauma. As Peter Levine writes, trauma “is about a loss of connection—to ourselves, our families, and the world around us. This loss is hard to recognize, because it happens slowly, over time. We adapt to these subtle changes; sometimes without noticing them.”[9]
...more
