Intro to Trauma Competent Care
Definitions – Positive, Tolerable, Toxic Stress and Trauma Lesson 2
GOAL: To define terms that will be used throughout the lessons. Stress is packaged in three different ways. POSITIVE STRESS: Some level of stress is positive. Positive stress is characterized by brief increases in heart rate and hormone levels – like adrenaline. Stress hormones start pumping, focusing the mind and preparing the body. When the flood of hormones of stress is short-lived it is a healthy experience. TOLERABLE STRESS: The tolerable stress response activates the body’s alert systems to a greater degree as a result of a more severe, longer lasting event. The keys to this being a tolerable or manageable stress are two things, inhibiting the tolerable stress from morphing into another layer of damaging stress: 1. The activation of the stress is time-limited. The event isn’t prolonged. 2. The child is buffered by healthy, understanding and nurturing adults who can help the child adapt and enable that child’s brain and body to recover from what might have been damaging effects.
REMEMBER: It is important to process that stressful event within 72 hours. TOXIC TRAUMATIC STRESS: The perception or belief that one’s life is indeed threatened results in the body and brain responding. Toxic Traumatic Stress may be caused by physical or emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver substance abuse, exposure to violence, or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship without adequate adult support. Healthy body and brain development do require that a child experiences both positive and tolerable stress events. These experiences help the child learn skills to manage those events that happen and develop the capacity to respond normally. However, Toxic Traumatic Stress may have a devastating impact on a child’s health and well-being. © 2019 Christian Alliance for Orphans & Back2Back Ministries. cafo.org/global