All Enslaved Africans brought to the Americas possessed traumatized minds. What is so remarkable is the number who recovered relatively quickly following the slavery and post slavery period. Yet, there are those and their today's descendants still struggling to free their minds of trauma. Originally, the word "Trauma" (Greek for wound) referred to the wounds, impairment, and disability resulting from sudden physical injury or violence. Wounds refer to body tissue damage of six main types. First is Abrasions (dealing with the scraping away of superficial layers of skin). Second is “Penetration” (affecting tissues just below the surface extending into underlying tissue or into a body cavity). Third is “Perfusion” (as occurs with a stabbing going some distance below the surface. Fourth is “Permeation” where there may an avulsion--i.e. a tearing away or forcible separation of body tissues inside nooks, crannies, and recesses.
Fifth is “Pervasion” (to go or walk through) which affects tissues throughout the body. Sixth is "Perforating," as in having an entrance and exit opening that adversely affects the inside and outside essence of what is involved.
A complication of any trauma affecting the skin is germs getting into the blood stream (called Bacteremia). Signs and symptoms coming from this is called Septicemia (pus in the blood). Every part of the body can be affected and effects are worsened if one already has an underlying disease (e.g. diabetes). Impairment is the loss of function of the body in whole or in part caused by the trauma. Disability ('not able') concerns the effects of trauma (e.g. stigma) to ones relationship inside the environment. Similarly, psychic and emotional wounds from any cause can produce "pus" and a lasting scar, even if the initial pain is short-lived. Because "Psyche" (Ancient Egyptian for “soul”) deals with metaphysical realms at a spiritual level, Perforating wounds possess sufficient destructive forces to shatter the bond between ones Divine Consciousness (or "Self") and ones Divine Spirit. Moderate forces cause the two to "stretch" away from each other but remain connected. Slight and Mild forces, like "Penetrating" or "Abrasive" wounds involving ones "Psyche" and Emotions leave "scars." All wounds, whether from a single trauma or multiple cumulative (Latin, heap or pile) microtrauma exposures make a lasting impression and cause Impairment and Disability--the degree to which is determined by how a given individual reacts to the degree of trauma caused by one or more Trigger Events or by a Trigger person(s).
Traumas, wounds, impairment, and disability are components of the word "Abuse" and the various types of Abuse can cause Traumatized Thinking. During ancient times the context of “Abuse” was deemed by religious leaders to be outside the frame of socially acceptable “normal” and “right”--as in anything ill-used; any deceitfulness; any corrupt practices or bad customs; being rude or engaging in mockery; and regarding any material resources selfishly used (e.g. an abuse of ones privileges). Thereafter, because of their Brute mindset (which is a philosophical problem and not a psychiatric or psychological problem) abusing people in general and children in particular was not of concern to the vast majority of Europeans. This is clearly shown in how these Brutes dealt with African American Slaves in their application of evil and sadistic deeds. The result has been a Maafa (immeasurable catastrophe) which includes a Holocaust + the mental impairment + the resultant disability those survivors encounter in daily living + other impairments/disabilities passed down from generation to generation. A Maafa makes one self-absorbed and struggling to find any degree of safety, security, self-confidence, strength, and stability. By such a Maafa induced mindset operating inside a "bottomless" pit and with no one showing them the way out prevents ones visualization of formulating solutions to rise out of their various forms of poverty. (Contributor: Sharon Bingaman)
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