Philosophy and Ethics of Trauma Treatments

The aftermath of a traumatic experience can have a debilitating effect on an individual's life. Although historically the concept of trauma was used in medicine to depict a physical wound, it was eventually adapted as a metaphor for psychological difficulties following an intense event. This psychological trauma can haunt individuals with shackling symptoms of overwhelming persistence and impaired functioning for their entire lives. Psychological trauma radically alters one's experience of the world. In this way, it uproots individuals from the previous context in which they existed, subsequently stripping them of meaning and exposing them to a harsh and uncertain reality.

The psychological and social difficulties resulting from traumatic experiences have become the focus of critical attention only in the last century. [Page 433]This study of psychological ...