Revisiting the Trauma Response
When applied correctly, Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) mitigates the negative impact of past traumatic events. A variety of experiences can be considered a traumatic incident and is only defined by how it impacts you; often painful, distressing, or shocking in nature, these incidents can have lasting emotional or physical effects. Examples of traumatic experiences include:
Death of a loved one: parent, spouse, child, close friend or relative
A vehicle accident: car, train, plane, snowmobile, or boat
An abuse, such as being held hostage, tortured, kidnapped, sexually abused, raped, physically abused
Divorce, loss of other relationship, home, or job
Conviction of a crime, incarceration, or loss of reputation
A major medical operation
Diagnosis of a life-threatening illness
Fighting in a war, or living in a war-torn country
An earthquake, flood, hurricane, or other environmental disasters
Other types of accidents: fire, building collapse, mine collapse
In addition to their own experiences, people may also encounter secondary traumatization, which is a result of over-exposure to victim suffering; this may be experienced by counsellors, health professionals, and emergency workers.
The usual response to trauma is experiencing the pain, loss, or other forms of distress, followed by a period of feeling somewhat disoriented, and eventually moving on in life. The process of moving on, if the person has fully experienced and integrated the pain, can be an opportunity for growth. However, since the event is painful to look at, the person may make a conscious or unconscious decision to “not look” at the event. When this happens, the person may eventually experience unexpected reactions and not understand where they are coming from, have negative feelings (such as being timid or fearful) or attitudes (not trusting certain kinds of people, animals), or find the person may find that they are inhibited in some situations, unable to do the things they want to.
The first hurdle is realizing that there is some unfinished business from the past to handle. Despite having symptoms that interfere with life, the connection between these symptoms and a significant past trauma tends to go unnoticed. Examples of such symptoms include: an unreasoning fear of some event or situation that cannot be logically overcome; lack of self confidence that inhibits them from achieving what they believe they are capable of; a chronic body condition such as pain, that does not respond to the usual medical treatments; or persistent difficulties in having a successful and satisfying relationship. Children or young people may experience persistent nightmares, lack of expected academic success, and general unhappiness, suggesting that a past trauma has not been recognized.
TIR is remarkably effective in eliminating the negative effects of past traumatic incidents with highly trained facilitators who provide a safe environment to address one’s experiences. The guiding questions of this technique result in the client feeling empowered and able to face life with renewed confidence. When life challenges do not readily resolve, seeking help from a TIR facilitator may provide relief.