EMOTIONAL WOUNDS IN THIS BOOK

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma profiles 118 wounding events and lists the ways a character's personality, behavior, and worldview may shift in the aftermath. Individual entries provide detailed information on associated fears, unmet needs, and inner struggles while also supplying ideas on how to show the character is beginning to move past their pain.

  • CRIME AND VICTIMIZATION WOUNDS
    A Carjacking
    A Home Invasion
    A Physical Assault
    Being Held Captive
    Being Sexually Violated
    Being Stalked
    Being Treated as Property
    Being Victimized by a Perpetrator Who Was Never Caught
    Identity Theft
    Witnessing a Murder

    DISABILITIES AND DISFIGUREMENTS
    A Learning Disability
    A Physical Disfigurement
    A Speech Impediment
    A Traumatic Brain Injury
    Battling a Mental Disorder
    Being So Beautiful It’s All People See
    Falling Short of Society’s Physical Standards
    Infertility
    Living With Chronic Pain or Illness
    Losing a Limb
    Losing One of the Five Senses
    Sexual Dysfunction
    Social Difficulties

    FAILURES AND MISTAKES
    Accidentally Killing Someone
    Bearing the Responsibility for Many Deaths
    Being Legitimately Incarcerated for a Crime
    Caving to Peer Pressure
    Choosing Not to Be Involved in a Child’s Life
    Cracking Under Pressure
    Declaring Bankruptcy
    Failing at School
    Failing to Do the Right Thing
    Failing to Save Someone’s Life
    Making a Very Public Mistake
    Poor Judgment Leading to Unintended Consequences

    INJUSTICE AND HARDSHIP WOUNDS
    An Abuse of Power
    Becoming Homeless for Reasons Beyond One’s Control

  • Being Bullied
    Being Falsely Accused of a Crime
    Being Fired or Laid Off
    Being Forced to Keep a Dark Secret
    Being Forced to Leave One’s Homeland
    Being the Victim of a Vicious Rumor
    Being Unfairly Blamed for Someone’s Death
    Experiencing Poverty
    Living Through Civil Unrest
    Living Through Famine or Drought
    Prejudice or Discrimination
    Unrequited Love
    Wrongful Imprisonment

    MISPLACED TRUST AND BETRAYALS
    A Sibling’s Betrayal
    A Toxic Relationship
    Abandonment Over an Unexpected Pregnancy
    Being Disappointed by a Role Model
    Being Disowned or Shunned
    Being Let Down by a Trusted Organization or Social System
    Being Rejected by One’s Peers
    Childhood Sexual Abuse by a Known Person
    Discovering a Partner’s Sexual Orientation Secret
    Discovering a Sibling’s Abuse
    Domestic Abuse
    Financial Ruin Due to a Spouse’s Irresponsibility
    Finding Out One Was Adopted
    Finding Out One’s Child Was Abused
    Getting Dumped
    Having One’s Ideas or Work Stolen
    Incest
    Infidelity
    Learning That One’s Parent Had a Second Family
    Learning That One’s Parent Was a Monster
    Losing a Loved One Due to a Professional’s Negligence
    Misplaced Loyalty
    Telling the Truth But Not Being Believed


    SPECIFIC CHILDHOOD WOUNDS
    A Nomadic Childhood
    A Parent’s Abandonment or Rejection
    Becoming a Caregiver at an Early Age
    Being Raised by a Narcissist

  • Being Raised by an Addict
    Being Raised by Neglectful Parents
    Being Raised by Overprotective Parents
    Being Raised by Parents Who Loved Conditionally
    Being Sent Away as a Child
    Being the Product of Rape
    Experiencing the Death of a Parent as a Child or Youth
    Growing Up in a Cult
    Growing Up in Foster Care
    Growing Up in the Public Eye
    Growing Up in the Shadow of a Successful Sibling
    Growing Up With a Sibling’s Disability or Chronic Illness
    Having a Controlling or Overly Strict Parent
    Having Parents Who Favored One Child Over Another
    Living in a Dangerous Neighborhood
    Living in an Emotionally Repressed Household
    Living With an Abusive Caregiver
    Not Being a Priority Growing Up
    Witnessing Violence at a Young Age

    TRAUMATIC EVENTS
    A Child Dying on One’s Watch
    A House Fire
    A Life-Threatening Accident
    A Loved One’s Suicide
    A Miscarriage or Stillbirth
    A Natural or Man-Made Disaster
    A Parent’s Divorce
    A School Shooting
    A Terminal Illness Diagnosis
    A Terrorist Attack
    Being Humiliated by Others
    Being Tortured
    Being Trapped in a Collapsed Building
    Being Trapped With a Dead Body
    Divorcing One’s Spouse
    Getting Lost in a Natural Environment
    Giving Up a Child for Adoption
    Having an Abortion
    Having to Kill to Survive
    Losing a Loved One to a Random Act of Violence
    The Death of One’s Child
    Watching Someone Die