Russian-American YouTuber Doctor Mike recently interviewed George Bonanno, a professor of clinical psychology, for his podcast. They talked about Bessel Van Der Kolk’s bestselling book The Body Keeps The Score, and discussed what they perceive as “overuse” of the word “trauma.”
Dr Bonanno is the author of two books: The Other Side of Sadness, from 2009; and The End of Trauma, published in 2021.
Psychology professor critiques the ‘overuse’ of the word ‘trauma’
“It undermines the word itself,” argues professor George Bonanno. “People think the slightest things are traumatic. You find people talking about being traumatized by things that are merely upsetting.”
He goes on: “On the surface that might seem harmless, but I don’t think it is. It’s part of a broader cultural trend to see difficulties as major life crises, to self-diagnose, to see common struggles as signs of psychopathology. The idea that trauma could be almost anything fits right in there.”
“There are some people who are seriously traumatized and can’t get over those events. And those people often need help. [Self-diagnosing as a traumatized person without having experienced something truly traumatic] takes the responsibility away from how we feel and how we react in life.”
Bonanno’s scholarly interests revolve around the question of whether or not people’s long term outcomes change as a result of loss and potential trauma. He’s a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University.
Psychologists have been worrying about the term’s overuse for a few years
Writing for Psychology Today on the topic of misuse of the word “trauma” in early 2023, therapist Amanda Ann Gregory offered 6 questions to determine if you’re using the term correctly.
Positive progress over the last few decades has seen “more awareness of the prevalence of psychological trauma,” she notes. She adds that this “never-ending pandemic” has impacted “generations of families” and communities.
However, trauma is now something of a “buzzword,” she warns. “Some people use the word trauma to describe anything shocking, distressing, or even slightly uncomfortable.” This is both technically incorrect and counterproductive, she argues.
Meanwhile, there are also “legitimate reasons” it has become a buzzword. Many people have “felt unseen, unheard, misunderstood, invalidated, and judged in relation to their emotional struggles,” she writes. The word carries weight.
6 questions you can ask yourself to determine if you are misusing the word
Amanda Ann Gregory’s 6 questions for determining if we are using the term “trauma” correctly and productively are:
- Am I using the word trauma to describe an event or experience?
- Am I using the word trauma to describe recent psychological injuries?
- Am I using the word trauma to describe a distressing experience or a disordered experience? Am I using the words trauma and PTSD interchangeably?
- Am I discussing someone else’s trauma?
- I’m a trauma survivor. Am I using self-identifying words that feel right to me?
Gregory is a trauma psychotherapist and author with licenses to practice in Illinois, Texas and Missouri.
The entire episode of Doctor Mike’s podcast, featuring professor George Bonanno, is available to watch on YouTube. It came out in January of this year.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor.
