What is Big T Trauma, and What is Little t Trauma?

Big T Trauma

Trauma is basically the result of anything that causes a deep wound to the mind, the emotions, or the body.  So, when therapists talk about Big T or Little t trauma, they are not describing whether someone is wounded more or less than someone else, but they are describing the way in which the wounding to the mind, emotions, or body occurred and how it affected the nervous system of the person who has been traumatized.

When the United States was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, and New York City held the locations where planes crashed, but the effects of the shock rippled throughout the world.  It was one day of horror for many as a collective people, but for the family members and friends of those who were killed, it was personal.  For those killed or injured, it was even more personal.  Yet, deep wounding happened to all involved as a result of overwhelming and sudden events.  This is Big T trauma. One-time events with great effects of wounding to those impacted.  The attacks sent peoples’ bodies into fight or flight survival mode and resulted in on-going pain and recovery being needed, but once the plane explosions stopped, the cause of the attack was over.  The fight or flight system might be on high alert and extra-sensitively tuned to watch for indications of danger, but the rhythms of normal life could help the wounding to be contained as a direct result of an isolated day of  threat coming to a close.

Little t Trauma

Little t trauma is more the on-going assaults that happen the mind, emotions, and body in the course of life.  It still is completely devastating and wounding, but it is caused by repetitive, less defined attacks to one’s sense of safety.  Instead of a specific event, like a plane crash, that can be contained to location and date and time, little t trauma can be every bit as present but not as easy to classify as to when it started and when it finished.  

For example, a child may have a clean bedroom, clean clothes, sufficient food for adequate nutrition, and a caring mother, but if the child’s father comes home drunk and raging on a regular basis over time, this can cause trauma.  Even though a father is merely coming home to his family, the out-of-control, not knowing what to expect, wondering if yelling or hitting still can have as much catastrophic damage as a one-time event, but may even hold more wounding because it cannot be contained to one event where it all occurred.  It kept the body in fight or flight survival mode constantly over years.  This type of wounding can make it for one’s system to identify whether it can begin to heal or needs to remain stuck in watchfulness for potential threats.

Combinations

There can, of course, be big T traumas mixed in with little t traumas, and little t traumas that result from bit T traumas.  

The Point of Classification 

The point of classifying trauma as Big T or Little t is not to indicate level of pain, but to allow therapists and clients to understand the complexities of how bodies’ nervous systems are impacted and how to best design treatment care so that they can heal.

Each person’s trauma is a significant wounding, but the way each person experiences the effects and the way the plan of care takes shape are informed by the uniqueness of both the person and they type of wounding.

Contact Us if you feel you could benefit from treatment for your wounding experiences.

Guest blog written by Michelle Croyle