What M.D. Students Should Know about Treating LGBTQ Youth Affected by Violence

Identify and Respond to Trauma
Physicians cite various barriers to asking about trauma, such as a lack of time and a lack of ability to respond appropriately. As the CDC has illustrated, we need to ask our patients about the various forms of violence they may have faced. Our actions may be triggering for myriad reasons. In someone who has been assaulted, for example, a routine physical exam could set off a neurological response that causes serious distress and further harm. Educating ourselves about trauma and how to respond with compassionate competence is part of our responsibility as medical providers. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains, we cannot “treat” the horrible events of people’s pasts, but we can deal with “the imprints of the trauma on body, mind, and soul.”