Katlego Sekhu
General awareness of mental health and psychological issues has significantly increased worldwide, thanks to the spread of information, the digital age, and popular culture.
While previous generations may not have understood concepts like “triggered,” “trauma,” and “OCD,” many of us are now familiar with these terms. However, with this increased knowledge, are we beginning to misuse these terms and apply them out of context in our everyday language? Is “triggered” the appropriate word for every unpleasant moment? Is “trauma” simply a blanket term for any negative experience?
Is “narcissist” now used to describe anyone we perceive as selfish or dislike? Clinical psychologist Keitumetse Senosi joined the team to help us make sense of it all.
Enlightening the team and the listeners on trauma, Senosi noted that it is a person’s experience of psychological distress that results from an overwhelming event that the person could not process emotionally.
“Psychological distress can be anything that can be perceived as threatening, harmful to oneself, anxiety-inducing, or something that could have potentially led to death. So if someone experiences trauma, it simply means it was an overwhelming situation.”
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