Trauma is an emotional response to a disturbing event. These may be big events like natural disasters or a series of smaller, seemingly insignificant events, like never being invited to classmates' birthday parties.
We hide the effects of trauma behind advice like, 'harden up', 'don't like it bother you' and 'build a bridge and get over it'.
Looking around though, it's clear resolving trauma isn't that simple - or that flippant.
The signs of unresolved trauma are everywhere - road rage, depression, anxiety, bullying, abuse (in all its forms), suicide, anger, addiction, mental unwellness. Rates of suicide, depression and anxiety are rising around the world.
Yet, as a society, and as individuals, we don't seem to be very trauma-informed. We don't know what to say or do and so shy away from the conversations we find too difficult.
I've written this book as a resource for anyone who wants to understand what unresolved trauma looks like into today's world and the seemingly small things you can do and say - and refrain from saying and doing - to help people heal and create a society everyone wants to live in.