Trustoration
Focused on the healing of moral injury, betrayal,
loss of purpose, grief, and associated distress following trauma
Trustoration
Rebuilding felt sense of trust
Post-traumatic stress and moral injury affect individuals in distinct ways following traumatic events, in that PTSD threatens a person’s felt sense of safety, while moral injury threatens a person’s felt sense of trust.
Both can contribute to the loss a person can feel after an injury or other life-altering event that changes how they function in the world, particularly depending on how trusted others respond to the event in positions of authority (Molendijk et al., 2022).
Grieving the life we planned
Suffering trauma that threatens our safety, our first instinct may be a desire to return to that previous place. We long for that prior felt sense of all being well, even when we may know on some level that that is not possible. We feel ourselves entering the space between what was then, and what will happen next, which is unknown.
Grieving the life we planned compounds the distress we feel moving through the unknown when we did not choose this for ourselves. The compromised sense of personal agency adds to our feelings of isolation and distress. Regaining a relationship of trust with the world through rebuilding our personal sense of empowerment allows us to rediscover hope, purpose, and meaning.
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Perspective building
How "fish" come from their aquariums
A fish raised in an aquarium with castle décor may expect that decorative environments consist of towers and turrets. A different fish may be accustomed to a pirate-themed sunken ship. Conflicts may arise over what “normal” looks like when these two fish meet to begin a life together. Perspective building, vision, and commitment aid the creation of an aquarium that honors both traditions and their future legacy.
Patterns in the Past and Present
The history and expectations from our individual context impacts how we behave in the world. Building a better understanding of ourselves and one another can help improve communication, resolve conflicts, and enhance relationships with others.