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To illustrate the dynamic influence of our thought processes
consider the evidence that some children may have, in effect,
"traumatized themselves" by misunderstanding even positive
comments made to them at an early age. Likewise, two soldiers can
crawl over the same horribly mutilated dead bodies of their buddies
and one goes right on fighting effectively but the other is incapacitated
with fear and confusion. We must learn the answers as to why this
happens in both cases in order to help others and ourselves cope with
trauma. What mental processes and traits reduce or intensify our
catastrophizing?
After a harrowing experience with profound traumatic shock,
distress, and disintegration, how do people pull themselves back
together? Janoff-Bulman (1999) says that our basic beliefs are
shattered and have to be rebuilt. What are these fundamental
assumptions? (1) That our part of the world is a good place. (2) That
our world is just; that good things happen to good people and bad to
bad; that we usually deserve what happens to us; that life events are
within our control. (3) That we are always good, decent, and capable
(we over-estimate our strengths and overlook our weaknesses; we
claim responsibility for positive outcomes.) Because of these beliefs--
really often deceptive illusions--we feel safe and complacent (these
beliefs help us cope with depression and self-doubts). When a
catastrophe strikes, however, these cherished beliefs are recognized
as false...lies and self-deceptions. Thus, crisis workers, who
thought this could happen to me!" As Ernest Becker has said "seeing
the world as it really is is devastating and terrifying..." for both the
victim and the rescuer.
Recovery from trauma is a complex process. We try to forget; we
withdraw from others; we become emotionally numb and, as much as
possible, cognitively push the experience out of awareness. But, bad
dreams, nightmares, anxiety, and spontaneous reliving ("flashbacks")
of the experience break through our defenses. We feel a great need to
understand what happened and why. We compare our experience with
others--often we decide "It could have been worse." We so want to get
back to our old comfortable beliefs that often we start to wonder if we
may have been partly responsible for the distressing event. Janoff-
Bulman explains some victims' tendency to self-blame as a rather
desperate step towards recovery. How does this happen? By feeling
partly responsible for what happened, it restores to the victim some
sense of control over the world (Note: this is not the only possible
cause of self-blame). Also, this sense of personal control ("maybe I
could have done something"), even if totally inaccurate, reduces the
sense of uncontrollability of the world. Some self-blamers blame their
badness (which can become quite destructive psychologically); other
self-blamers blame their actions; both gain a little sense of control.
Trauma survivors review the events over and over; gradually many
may tend to see some benefits or some meaning coming from the
experience (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1998). Sometimes, the victim
believes he/she suffered for a purpose or the crisis gave them a
