Post-Trauma Versus Inter-Trauma: Living with Traumatic Stress in Israel and The United States

The question of whether prior traumatic events increase post traumatic distress or bring about habituation to living with trauma in the general (not directly exposed) population remains unresolved. We address this question by comparing and contrasting the psychological impact of a singular trauma - the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks in the United States ? with that of continual trauma- the scores of suicide bombings that took place in Israel during the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising). As such the article also contributes to the discussion of the effect of cultural differences on post traumatic emotional outcomes. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, we present data from empirical studies of post traumatic reactions, as well as from literary works that were produced under conditions of ongoing trauma. Based on this data, we propose that a prolonged trauma may be better defined as “inter-trauma” and not “post-trauma.” We also suggest that psychological response to trauma is not universal but rather embedded in a particular rset of cultural conditions. Future empirical studies are warranted to examine specific responses to trauma in distinct cultural and national settings and to compare and contrast the differences between them.