70 percent of U.S. adults experience this at least once in their life

An estimated 70 percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives, according to the National Council for Community and Behavioral Health.

Trauma can be classified in several ways. One classification is intentional trauma, which can have lifelong effects on those who experience it. This form of trauma is when someone purposefully chooses to inflict violence on another person such as domestic violence, hate crimes, sexual assault and physical assault. The approach to providing medical care to individuals who have experienced intentional trauma is called trauma-informed care.

“Experiencing trauma can have a significant impact on someone’s physical, mental, behavioral, social and spiritual health,” says Dr. Kim Miiller, director at the Advocate Trauma Recovery Center. “Trauma-informed care is a wholistic approach to care, meaning we are taking care of the whole person and all of the facets of their life that their trauma experience might touch.”

Dr. Miiller adds that taking care of the whole person means considering how your actions and the way you broach questions affect the survivor and their response. You also have to take into account past trauma and coping mechanisms survivors might have when determining the best course of care for the person.

Trauma-informed care helps survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowers them to move forward with their life.

The Advocate Trauma Recovery Center recently opened its doors to Cook County residents who are survivors of intentional trauma. The center is a health care-based violence intervention program that provides services and resources to survivors. Click here to learn more about the center.

“The mission of the center is to support survivors and their families on their path to recovery and healing,” says Dr. Miiller. “We seek to aid survivors in ending the cycle of violence.”