retraumatize
Reopen old wounds
To retraumatize is to cause someone to relive or experience fresh psychological harm from a past trauma.
Survivors of abuse may be retraumatized by insensitive questioning, graphic media, or being forced to recount their experiences: The trial retraumatized her.
The term is common in discussions of mental health, victim advocacy, and institutional practices.
Involuntary past memory
- triggerWhat initiates action
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- intrusiveInvading others' privacy
panic · avoidance · vulnerability · survivor · victim · memory · anxiety · fear
Reverse in progress
- regressionReturn to former state
- backslideRevert to bad habits
- deteriorateGrow worse over time
- worsenBecome more severe
decompensation · exacerbation · revert · decline · destabilize · unravel · spiral · recurrence
Professional guidance for problems
- therapistMental health practitioner
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- interventionPurposeful involvement to change course
- sessionScheduled time for activity
aftercare · rehabilitation · processing · stabilization · safety · trust · validation · empathy
Established organization or custom
- reinterviewingInterviewing someone again
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
interrogation · examination · retelling · disclosure · reporting · insensitive · procedure · protocol
flashback
Involuntary past memory
- triggerWhat initiates action
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
intrusive · panic · avoidance · vulnerability · survivor · victim · memory · anxiety · fear · overwhelm
setback
Reverse in progress
- regressionReturn to former state
- backslideRevert to bad habits
- deteriorateGrow worse over time
worsen · decompensation · exacerbation · revert · decline · destabilize · unravel · spiral · recurrence · re-emergence
counseling
Professional guidance for problems
- therapistMental health practitioner
- psychotherapyTreatment through guided conversation
- interventionPurposeful involvement to change course
session · aftercare · rehabilitation · processing · stabilization · safety · trust · validation · empathy · healing
institution
Established organization or custom
- reinterviewingInterviewing someone again
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
deposition · interrogation · examination · retelling · disclosure · reporting · insensitive · procedure · protocol · complaint
retraumatization, retraumatized, retraumatizes, retraumatise, retraumatizing, retraumatised