Before we can explore the brokenness and damage caused by trauma (neglect or abuse), we must first establish what it means to be healthy. All human beings are complex individuals which, for the purpose of this study, I divide into eleven aspects of life. Each of these aspects must be healthy in order to achieve full health. Unfortunately, any or each of these aspects can be damaged throughout life causing an unhealthy balance. These aspects are separate yet interconnected: A broken toe, for example, is physical but can affect the emotional as well as the financial or relational aspect of our lives.
The purpose here is to learn to recognize health, then we can recognize damage. Sorting this damage takes time. After we realize our damage, we can learn to repair this damage and with practice and exercise, become healthy.
I divide humanity into the following categories or aspects:
1) Physical
2) Emotional
3) Chemical
4) Psychological
5) Cognitive
6) Spiritual
7) Sexual
8) Financial
9) Social or Relational
10) Societal
11) Environmental
Let us first define what is meant by each of these aspects. Then we can determine what it means to be healthy in each.
1) The Physical: the “machine in which we live” as some say. This is the easiest category to envision. It envelopes the entire physiology defined by the medical profession. This is what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. It includes our brain health, the digestion and cardiovascular system, the muscular, skeletal and nervous system, et cetera. The physical also contains (click to expand)
2) The Emotional: A vast array of internal feelings. We not only react to our environment but project ourselves onto our environment and others allowing us to interpret and respond to events. A typical male has four basic feelings: happy, sad, anger, fear and frustration. (This is tongue and cheek.) A female has a rainbow of emotions and displays more than one simultaneously (click to expand)
3) Chemical: The human body manufactures and responds to a variety of chemicals and hormones flowing through it. Of course, woman have a different set of chemicals than does men. Keeping these chemicals and hormones in balance is important for our health. (click to expand)
4) The Cognitive: Here I am taking a definition which follows close to the intellect. Not only does this include one’s ability to learn and remember, but also what one learns and how. What we have learned in the past, forms our worldview and determines what we can learn in the future. One can have the innate ability to absorb and recall all kinds of stimuli, facts and data, (click to expand)
5) The Psychological: Where the emotional encompassed our feelings, and the cognitive processes information, the psychological is a combination of these. I am interpreting this as our soul. This is who we are. The psyche (Greek: life essence) of the individual both responds to and affects our environment and relationships. This is the real person living inside your body. (click to expand)
6) The Spiritual: is where one has a fluid and dynamic relationship with one’s Creator. No one can accomplish this by one’s self as we are all born broken not knowing what true health is, while God is perfect and Holy. We are all born weak, needing to learn how to walk, eat, communicate and understand the world around us. (click to expand)
7) The Relational: is how we interrelate with others. This covers a large range of possibilities because not everyone is safe or trustworthy. Learning and discerning limits and safety toward others, building walls where needed yet allowing appropriate people and ideas in, is a measure of health. Connecting with people on a one-to-one / face-to-face level, is a sign of relational health. (click to expand)
8) The Societal: Fitting into the norms of society without succumbing to unhealthy societal pressure, being able to change and improve society for future benefit of society. The societal includes family, and friends. It can include your neighborhood, town, education, faith and government. Obviously, some societies are healthier than others. Without a standard, we would never know if growing up in the heart of NAZI Germany is healthy or not. (click to expand)
9) Sexual Health: is admitting to and being at ease with one’s sexuality and the roles of each sex. Having healthy interactions between people of the same and opposite sex. Treating people for who they are, as individuals, without overcompensation or distraction due to sex, is sexual health. (click to expand)
10) Financial Health: is being at ease with one’s financial status. Being able to earn, spend, give and utilize finances, having healthy interactions between people of the same and different financial capabilities. Not depending on others for support, but helping others in steed. (click to expand)
11) The Environmental: These are the “things”: shelter, food, clothing, weather, etc. It can include society, relational, and financial. I will include media such as television, radio, music, and video games. These are all the things that influence us as we grow up. Most of the time we are unaware of our environment. As Ravi Zachariah says, “If you want to know about water, don’t ask a fish.” We probably will not recognize our environment until we have left it (click to expand)
As you can imagine, there is an overlap between some of these categories. Some are distinct such as physical and cognitive. Others are blurry, such as psychological and emotional. You may build this chart differently with slightly different definitions. The point here is to examine every aspect of life, determine what “healthy” means and strive for health. Expand the definitions to examine how each of these are important and how they affect us.
Two more definitions:
Trauma: anything that damages any of these aspects of life.
Emotional Trauma: any emotion or event that overwhelms our capacity or ability to cope.
Emotional strength depends on past experience, environment and training. If a person has experience or is prepared for an emotional event, then the event is less likely to overwhelm the current emotional capacity. Life Model